Echoes of Future Past
by JA Baker
Summary: When all else fails, love, hope and friendship will lead the way… Finished
1. Dreams of the past

_OK, just a note before we start the story: I begin writing Echo's before I found out how season 3 ended, and finished it before I learned of the events in season 4, so it doesn't fit in to the cannon universe. I did consider changing it so it did, but that would have required the re-writing of about 1/3rd of the story. _

I would like to thank Gordon AI for Beta-reading this, something that you will appreciate the scope of when the story ends.

**Echoes of Future Past  
****Part 1: Dreams of the past**

Harper was frown from his feet as another explosion rocked the Andromeda. He grabbed the wall for support, "Rommie, what going on?" The AI failed to answer. He called out, "Can anyone hear me?" he voice echoed along the corridor.

"Harper! Get your butt down here now!" a voice replied.

Harper ran towards it, "Beka!" he rounded a corner to find the first officer leaning on Rommie, a bundle in her arms, "What's going on?"

Rommie looked up, "Magog swarm ship's! They've taken out command."

Harper stopped cold, "Tyr? Dylan?" Rommie shook her head.

Another explosion shook them, and a support beam gave way, pinning Beka to the deck. She screamed in pain as Harper and Rommie tried to lift it, but it wouldn't budge. Beka grabbed Harper and stuffed the bundle into his arms, "Keep him safe for me!" He was about to respond when Beka closed her eyes.

"It's too late for her." Rommie grabbed Harper by the arm, "We have to get to the _Maru!_"

Harper looked down at the bundle: it was a small baby. He looked at Rommie, "What happened to Trance?"

"I don't know: she said something about making it all right, then diapered right in fount of me. We have to go now: the slipstream core is rigged to blow!"

They made it to the _Maru_, and Harper strapped himself into the pilots seat; "Hold tight!"

He opened the engines full, sending the cargo ship out of the hanger like a round from a Gauss Rifle. He looked round in time to see the _Andromeda_ explode, taking two Magog ship's with it. Turning his back on the carnage, Harper took the ship into slipstream.

Harper woke with a start. He tried to slow his breathing down before he hyperventilated. His sheets where soaked with sweat.

He swallowed hard as there was a knock at the door, "Harper, are you ok?"

He took a deep breath, "I'm ok Rommie, just another nightmare."

The door opened and his friend walked in and sat down next to him, "Same one?"

Harper nodded, "You'd think that after 20-years I'd be able to shake it."

Rommie put her hand in his should reassuringly, "Don't worry: if this all works out today, it'll never have happened."

Harper nodded, "I hope so."

**TBC…**


	2. Time Jump

**Echoes of Future Past  
****Part 2: Time Jump**

Harper followed Rommie to the Maru's bridge, and stopped behind the pilot's seat, "We ready for the last jump?"

A tall, well built Nietzschean sat at the controls, "Ready when you are."

Harper double backed to the engine room while Rommie took the sensor station, "Ok, the ECM-generator is powered up. Ryan; takes us in."

The pilot nodded, and activated the slipstream drive. The Maru weaved its way through the slipstream smoothly. Rommie smiled, "Your mother would have been proud of you Ryan: you're as good as she was."

"Thank you." Ryan smiled.

The ship exited slipstream, and Rommie took Ryan's place at the controls, "Ok, it will take me a few minuets to match the course and speed needed. You better go see if Harper's ready."

Ryan squeezed her shoulder, "Thank you for all you've done for me over the years."

Rommie laughed, "Your farther would have had a fit if he'd ever heard you say something like that."

Ryan smiled, "It must be my human side. Goodbye."

Rommie squeezed his hand, "Good luck."

Harper was busy tweaking the controls of his latest creation when Ryan found him, "Are you sure this thing will work?"

Harper took a step back and admired his handwork, "It worked before, and it'll work again."

Ryan leaned against the handrail, "Yes, but last time you had a quantum commuter and a black hole: this time you've got a cobbled together computer attached to the Maru's drive system and a point-singularity bomb."

Harper shook his head, "It's all just a question of scale: I sent Dylan back 303-years where as you only need to go back 21-years. It'll work. Trust in the Harper, the Harper is good."

Ryan smiled, "That's easy for you to say: you're not the one making the trip, I am!"

Harper was about to respond when Rommie's voice came over the PA-system, "Make it quick you two: I've gotten us into position, but we have three Magog ship's inbound, all packing point-singularity weapons."

Ryan jumped into the teleporter, "Time to do your work Mr Wizard."

Harper nodded, "Good luck kid." He pressed the controls, and Ryan disappeared.

He reappeared two meters in the air above the Andromeda's hydroponics bay. He hit the ground with a thump, "Ouch! Nice one Harper!"

Sirens started going off, "Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert! Intruder: identify your self!"

Ryan raised himself up on his hands and knees, "Override code: Tango Charley Brake 10 Bravo."

The sirens stopped, "Override code accepted. Identify your self!" Andromeda sounded confused.

Ryan laughed, "That could take a while I'm afraid."

"Feel free to take your time. How did you get on my ship?" A forcelance tapped him on the shoulder.

Ryan turned round to find that he was looking at a man he had only seen in photos, "Captain Hunt I presume?" He saw Rommie and Harper standing by the door, "They sent me: I'm here to stop your ship being destroyed in 8-mounths. I'm here to save your life."

**TBC…**


	3. Voice from the Future

**Echoes of Future Past  
****Part 3: Voice from the future**

Dylan's forcelance remain steady as Ryan slowly got to his feet, "Why should I believe you?"

Ryan smiled, "I'm going to slowly reach into my pocket and take out a flexi. Once you've seen it, you can make your own decision."

Dylan nodded. Ryan slowly lowered his hand to his side and reached into his pocket and pulled out a flexi, and handed it to Dylan, who activated it.

Rommie's face appeared, "_Hello Dylan. If you're seeing this, then Harpers plan worked and Ryan made it back in one piece. It's hard for me to record this message: from my point of view, you've been dead over 20-years. If this works as we hope, you should be at the rally point for the fleet that's going after the Magog world ship. Dylan, you're going to loss and loss badly: The Commonwealth fleet is going to be massacred, and Andromeda is going to be the only ship that makes it back. The new crew is going to abandon ship, and in approximately 8-mouths, you're going to die, and the ship is going to be destroyed. There are only three survivors: Harper, Ryan, and me. Trance disappeared right before my eyes, so I can't say what happened to her. Dylan, don't make the same mistake again. Good luck_." The image faded.

"Just who are you?" Dylan looked at Ryan.

"My name is Ryan Anasazi, and I am the son of Tyr Anasazi and Beka Valentine."

Dylan shook his head, "But according to you, they die in eight months, and Beka's not pregnant."

"She is: she just doesn't know it yet." Dylan turned round to see Trance standing in the doorway. She walked up to the two men; "I helped deliver Ryan when he was born: It was just before I came back to change the past. If he's here, it means I failed."

Ryan smile, "The famous Trance Gemini! I'm glad I've finely got a chance to meet you, person to person."

Rommie cut-in, "You say that in eight months time, Dylan, Tyr and Beka are going to die, and the ship is going to be destroyed: how?"

Ryan looked at Trance, "Is it safe to tell them?"

Trance nodded, "They need to know if we're to stop it from happening again."

Ryan shrugged, "Ok then. The story I was always told is this: The _Andromeda_ was on the run from Magog raiders, but my mother went into labour, so you had to stop. While she was giving birth to me, the Magog caught up with you. The first point-singularity round they fired took-out command, killing you and my farther. With the main AI damaged, and no one to operate the weapons, the ship was doomed. Trance pulled her diapering act, leaving Rommie alone with my mother, who made the decision to make a brake for it in the _Maru_."

"They had just met up with Harper when another point-singularity round hit, and my mother was crushed by a support beam and killed. Rommie and Harper took me and made a run for it in the _Maru_, getting out just before the slipstream core detonated, destroying the _Andromeda_ and the Magog ships. Rommie and Harper brought me up on the _Maru_, and we spent our lives running from the Magog. That was, until we reached Tran-Vedra."

**TBC…**


	4. Tarn Vedra

Echoes of future past, part 4  
  
Dylan blinked, "You've been to Tarn-Vedra?" Ryan nodded, "It was a last ditch-attempt to find help: The Than Hegemony and the Nietzschean Alliance tried to fight back, but Enga's Redoubt and San-Ska-Re fell to the Magog. Even the Pyrian's fought-back, until they lost Krrendar IV. Harper said we should try and re-trace the rout used by Hasturi, the Mad Perseid. It took us two years, and nearly killed us, but we finally made it to Tarn-Vedra."  
  
Dylan was in shock, "What did you find?" Ryan's eyes fell, "It was deserted: we didn't find a single sentient lifeform in the entire system, not even an AI. There where no ships, no records, and no help. Harper found a point-singularity round in an arms-depot, and had the idea of trying to recreate the teleporter he used to send you back to the Starry Wisdom. We scavenged enough computer components to power it, then made our way to this point in space, but 21-years in the future. Rommie got the Maru into position, and just as the Magog found us, Harper sent me back."  
  
Harper shook his head, "Man: Imagine the ability to send someone back in time at will!" Ryan shook his head, "It only had a 10% chance of success: if the Maru had been out of position, or we got time setting wrong by just a few seconds, I would have died." Rommie looked at him, "Then why risk it?" Ryan looked at her, "Because I saw the look in your eyes when we saw what the Magog had done to the Milky Way: you said it was the same as M81." Rommie's eyes went wide, "All of it, gone?"  
  
Ryan nodded, "Every star, every planet, every non-Magog life form, dead. The Known-worlds where finished, the Maru was almost out of fuel, and we hade nowhere to go. I knew it was a one-way trip, what ever happens: Ether I fail, and I die back here, or I succeed, and disappear as the time-line changes. I don't care, I just don't want to see that happen to a Galaxy again." He looked at the others, "You can't tell my parents who I am: it would only complicate matters." Dylan nodded, "As far as the rest of the crew are concerned, you're just a messenger. I'll tell Tyr and Beka you're from Trance's time, but not who you are. It's better that way."  
  
"What's better that way?" A voice from behind them inquired. Dylan turned to see Tyr standing in the doorway, "Try, this is Ryan: he's come back from the future, like Trance did, and he's brought us some disturbing information." Ryan stood as Tyr approached. The big Nietzschean looked the newcomer over, "And who is he?" Trance smiled, "Let's just say he's a friend, and we can trust him." Tyr snorted, "What pride are you?" Ryan kept his face steady, "I have no pride: I am alone."  
  
Tyr shook his head, "What is it with this ship? We seem to be a magnet for all the weird and unusual events in the known universe." He turned and left. Ryan took a deep breath, "Well that was kind of tense: the last thing I need is to get into a fight with him!"  
  
TBC 


	5. The Truth

Echoes of future past, part 5  
  
Ryan sat patiently in medical while the doctors ran their tests. He could see the two Lancers standing by the door, forcelances extended and ready. Rommie, his Rommie, had told him what to expect when he made the jump: DNA testes to prove he was who he said he was, questioning, blood tests for biological agents, the works. The door opened and he looked round.  
  
It took all of his self-control to keep his face straight when he saw who it was: Beka Valentine, him mother. He'd seen photos of her, but he didn't really know anything about her. He remember the time Rommie and Harper had told him how she died, how she had pressed him, only a few minuets old at the time, into Harpers arms as she lay under the support beam, dieing.  
  
Beka looked at the mysterious visitor that had the others so spooked: he looked a lot like Tyr, but his skin was slightly lighter and his bone- blades where less pronounced. She was confused by the look he gave her, like he was seeing some historical figure for the first time.  
  
One of the doctors walked in, engrossed in a flexi, "Well, we've confirmed your genetic parentage Mr Anasazi. The Captain will be down to talk to you shortly." Ryan's face fell: Anasazi was a name only used by Kodiak pride, and his mother had heard him addressed by it. She seemed stunned, then turned and left.  
  
Beka ran along the corridor, trying to figure-out where Tyr would be: he deserved to know if a member of his pride was on-ship. She was so busy thinking about what it could mean that she ran straight into Dylan. She took a step back and looked him in the eye, "Dose Tyr know that our visitor is Kodiak pride?" Dylan frowned, "How much do you know?" Beka blinked, "Nothing, except that his name is Anasazi, and I know for a fact that only Kodiak pride use that name."  
  
Dylan shook his head, "You better come with me. Andromeda, can you please page Tyr to my office, and send Trance to look after Ryan." The AI's voice came out of nowhere, "At once." Dylan led Beka to his office, and was not surprised when he found Tyr waiting for them, "What is this all about?" Dylan ushered them inside and closed the door, "Our visitor, Ryan, is from 21-years in the future, the same future as Trance. He was sent back because she failed." Beka looked at Tyr, "His full name is Ryan Anasazi." Tyr blinked, "But that would make him Kodiak. When I asked him, he said he had no pride, that he was alone."  
  
Dylan motioned to two chairs, "You might want to sit down to hear this next bit. Ryan didn't want to tell you, he said it would complicate mater, and I happened to agree with him, but now it's to late: Beka, Tyr, Ryan Anasazi is your son."  
  
TBC 


	6. Questions

Echoes of future past, part 6  
  
Beka's eyes went wide, "WHAT! How? We've only slept together once!" Dylan shrugged, "Sometimes that's all it takes. Andromeda scanned you as you entered medical, and confirmed you are indeed pregnant. According to Trance, the baby, that is, Ryan, will be born in just under 8-mounths."  
  
Tyr appeared to be in shock, but suddenly stood and walked from the room. He stalked the corridors, trying to take in what Dylan had said: he had a son, a child by Beka. His feelings for her where still confused. He needed answers, and there was only one place to get them.  
  
He stopped walking, "Ship, where is Trance?" Andromeda's voice came out of nowhere, "Trance is in hydroponics." Tyr quickly figured out the best rout to take, and started off again.  
  
Trance was busy tending her plants when Tyr found her, "Why did you never tell me about Ryan?" Trance froze where she was, "Because it would have complicated matter: you may have changed your feelings towards Beka based on it, and that could have effected the outcome in a bad way. Tyr's hard eyes narrowed, "But his being here proves that you failed: how do you know that not telling me was the right thing?"  
  
The golden skinned alien looked at Tyr, "If I had come up to you one day and said 'Hay Tyr, one day you and Beka are going to have a son, but you're going to die just as he's being born, and Beka soon after.' what would you have done?"  
  
Tyr thought on it for a second, "I would have laughed at you, then tried to change the future by keeping away from Beka." Trance nodded, "And if you did that, it would only make matter worse. Ryan comes from the future as it stands now, not as it will be if we change it: his simply being here changes things, but not enough to make everything right." Tyr nodded, "Where is he at the moment?" Trance smiled, "In the observation bay, thinking."  
  
Ryan was sat looking out of the window when he saw Harper and Rommie's reflections behind, "Let me guess: you've come to ask about your future." Harper shrugged nervously, "Can you really blame us?" Ryan smiled and turned round, "No, not really. It can't change anything, so there's no harm. What do you want to know?" Harper smiled, "What am, was, I like when I'm older?" Ryan thought on it for a moment, "You never lost hope, no matter what happened, but you did have bad nightmares about Beka's death."  
  
Rommie took a step forward, "What was I like?" Ryan looked at her, "Sad: you never told me why, but Harper said it was because you never told someone that you loved them when you had the chance. Never found out who it was, but I have y suspicions." Rommie's eyes fell for a moment, and then looked up, "I won't make that mistake this time. Thank you."  
  
Tyr walked through the hatchway and looked at Ryan, "We need to talk."  
  
TBC 


	7. Getting to know you

Echoes of future past, part 7  
  
Rommie and Harper made there way past Tyr and into the corridor beyond. Harper turned to the Avatar, "I think we both know who he was talking about back there: When you going to tell Dylan how you feel?" Rommie stopped, "I don't know: I want to tell him right now, but the time isn't right, but if I leave it to long, it might me to late: I'll tell him before we leave to fight the Magog."  
  
Tyr looked at Ryan, "Dylan's told us who you are." Ryan face fell, "I knew it would come out eventually, I'd just hoped it wouldn't be so soon." Tyr was confused, "Why didn't you want us to know?" Ryan sighed, "Because I'm not going to be around for that long, that's why: if I succeed in changing the past, your future, then I will simply cease to exist, if I fail, then I'll die when the Andromeda is destroyed."  
  
"Why can't you stay?" Beka asked from the doorway. Ryan shrugged, "I don't know: it's something to do with the time-line changing. Rommie tried to explain it to me once, but I couldn't understand it." Beka looked at Ryan, then rested a hand on her belly, "This is freaking me out big time: You're there, yet, you're also here!" Ryan smiled slightly, "It's freaking me out a bit too: I never knew ether of you, yet here you are, large as life." Tyr stepped forward and placed a hand of Ryan's shoulder, wanting to make sure he was real. Beka did the same, trying to understand it all.  
  
Ryan smiles nervously, "Ok, this is beginning to wired me out!" Beka took a step back, "What's your life been like?" Ryan shrugged slightly, "It could have been better, but it could have been worse: I was brought up on the Maru by Rommie and Harper. I spent most of my life running from the Magog. I learnt to pilot at an early age, and Rommie once said I was as good as you where." Beka smiled, eyes lingering on his bone-blades, "Glad to see you inherited something from me."  
  
Tyr looked his son in the eyes, "Do we have any grandchildren in your time?" Ryan shook his head, "No-time to try for them: most Nietzschean woman consider me tainted because I'm half-human, while regular human's hate me because I look like a Nietzschean. I'm not saying that I've ever had problems finding dates, but no one has ever taken an interest in a long- term relationship."  
  
Ryan took a step back, "I think it would be better for all of us if we didn't get too close: better for me, because I don't have the time to get to know you properly, and better for you, because I wont be around that long." He gently placed his hand on Beka's bell, "This is your son: I'm just what he might be like someday."  
  
TBC 


	8. Rommie’s confession

(Ok, I've finished The Hunter, so now I can get back to this story)  
  
Echoes of future past, part 8  
  
Ryan sat in Dylan's office, rubbing his eyes, "I'm sorry captain Hunt, but I don't know how to defeat the Magog: any plan I give you could make things worse. I was only sent back to tell you not to go through with your plan as it stands now, not to give you some master strategy." Dylan nodded, "I'm sorry, I'm clutching at straws."  
  
Tyr sat in the corner, deep in thought, "You said that the Than Hegemony and a Nietzschean Alliance fought, but only after the Commonwealth had lost. Could we convince them to join us in our attack?" Dylan leaned back in his chair, "We might be able to convince them, but would it be enough?" Ryan shrugged, "It's worth a try."  
  
Dylan watched from the observation deck as the two slip-courier shot away from the Andromeda, one headed for Enga's Redoubt, the other for San-Ska- Re. A third ship had already left for the Pyrian's base on Krrendar IV, but he had little help that they'd find any help there. He noticed that Rommie was stood nervously in the doorway. He smiled at her, "What's wrong?"  
  
Rommie slowly walked up to him, "Harper and me, we, well, we asked Ryan what we where like in the future. He said that I was sad because I left something undone." Dylan was confused, "Did he say what?" Rommie nodded, "Yes he did. Dylan, I need to say something to you, and I need you to listen to me without saying something or trying to stop me. Can you please do that?" Dylan just nodded.  
  
Rommie took a deep breath, "I've wanted to tell you this ever since Harper built me, but I've never had the guts to go through with it, I've always chickened out at the last minuet, but given what may happen soon, it's now or never." She wringed her hands nervously "Dylan, I love you! I always have, and I always will love you. I know that the High Guard has rule about Avatars not being aloud to get involved with crewmembers in this way, but I cant hide the way I feel anymore." She seemed relieved to finally have it out in the open.  
  
Dylan stood still for a minuet, shocked, then smiled. He gently rested his hands on her shoulders, "Rommie, you have no idea how happy you've just made me! I've loved you since we first met, but I was always afraid that you didn't feel the same, and I didn't want to risk upsetting you, especially after what we found on the Pax Magellanic. I love you more than I've ever loved anything."  
  
Rommie face erupted in a huge smile as Dylan leaned down and kissed her.  
  
TBC 


	9. The morning after the night before

Echoes of future past, part 9  
  
Dylan woke early the next morning, a smile on his face. He looked down and to the side, and saw Rommie was still asleep, curled-up at his side, one of her arms draped across his chest, a content smile on her lips. He had literally dreamed of this moment over the years, and now it was finally here, he didn't want to do anything to change it.  
  
He lay there for what felt like hours, just watching her sleep. She looked so innocent, so venerable. It was hard to believe that she was a warship: She had been so nervous the night before, so tender, it was easy to forget she wasn't human. So Dylan had simply let that thought slip from his mind, and had embraced her as a woman, a woman he loved.  
  
Rommie woke, and her mind was instantly filled with memories of the night before. The smile on her lips grew as she looked up at Dylan, "Morning." Dylan pulled her close and kissed her, "Good morning to you too. Sleep well?" Rommie giggled, "I would have slept better if you didn't snore so much!" Dylan looked at her, "I do not snore!" Rommie smiled, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but you do. But I can live with it." Dylan put his arms around her, "I'm glad to hear that, because I don't intend on ever letting you go."  
  
Rommie blinked, "Uh-oh! We have a problem." Dylan looked at her, concerned, "What?" Rommie's face fell, "The Admirals ship arrived last night, and he came aboard to talk with you." Dylan was confused, "So? I was asleep in my quarters, I'm sure he'll understand." Rommie gritted her teeth, "We weren't asleep when he went to knock on the hatch, and these walls aren't as sound- proof as you'd think." Dylan sighed, "We better go face the music." He leaned over and brushed a few stray hairs from across Rommie's face, "What ever happens, I have no regrets about last night." Rommie smiled, holding his hand to the side of her face with her own, "Nether do I."  
  
It took them a few minuets to find their clothes, a few more for Rommie to straighten out her hair, and they where ready to face the Admiral. The made their way along the corridors to the briefing room, trying to ignore the looks the crew gave them. Halfway there they ran into Beka, "Well, I see you two have finally gotten up." She said with a smile, "All I'll say is this: it's about time!" Rommie blushed, and Dylan smiled, "I could say the same about you and Tyr. How long have the two of you been dancing round the subject of your feelings for each other?" Beka smiled, "True. Good luck."  
  
Dylan knocked on the briefing room door and they went in.  
  
TBC 


	10. Face the music

Echoes of future past, part 10  
  
The Admiral was sat at the conference table before Dylan and Rommie. He motioned to a pair of seats at the other end, "Please, by seated." They sat as instructed, nervously looking along the length of the table. The Admiral leaded forward, placing his fingers together, "Before ether of you say anything, I will say this: yes, I am aware of your 'relationship', and of the rules laid down by the old High Guard concerning such relationships, and last night, I was ready to implement them." He stood and started to walk down the table, "Then I received a petition, sighed by every AI in the fleet, asking for the rule about Avatars and crew members getting involved to be scraped, and for the two of not to be brought up on charges."  
  
He stopped behind Dylan and Rommie, resting his hands on the back of their chairs, "I can read between the lines: if I do as the regulations say, the other AI's will make life difficult for me, and given the current state of affairs, I can't have that." He span the chairs round startling Dylan and Rommie, "Personally, I couldn't care less what the two of you get unto in the privacy of your own quarters, as long as we don't have a repeat of what happened to the Pax Magellanic. Can the two of you guaranty that that will not happen here?" Dylan and Rommie looked at each other, and then nodded, "Yes Sir." The Admiral smiled, "Very well. I will have the regs changed this afternoon." He sat back down in his chair, "Now what's all this about people coming back in time from the future?"  
  
Dylan nodded, "Well sir, as you are aware, Trance Gemini, my Life Support Officer, travelled back in time to two years ago to stop things happening as they had in her time-line. Well, it look's like she failed. The new comer is Ryan Anasazi, and he is the son of my first officer, Rebecca Valentine, and my Tactical officer, Tyr Anasazi. Our doctors have run DNA scans to prove he is who he says he is, and we have also confirmed that commander Valentine is pregnant at this time." The Admiral shook his head, "Is there something in the water on this ship? Ok, so we know what will happen if we go up against the Magog World-Ship with just our fleet, so what are we going to do to stop that happening?"  
  
Rommie looked up, "We have dispatched slip-couriers to Enga's Redoubt, San- Ska-Re and Krrendar IV in the hope that we can enlist some extra help." The Admiral thought on it for a moment, the nodded, "It's worth a try, and if we can prove to the Pyrian's that the Commonwealth is truly reformed, it should easy the tension along our borders with them. I can't say I'm happy with showing weakness to the Nietzscheans, but we need all the help we can get. We will wait one mouth, no longer, then we're continuing with the plans as they stand. To delay any long would put billions of lives at risk. Dismissed."  
  
Beka was waiting for them when they stepped outside, "Well, how'd it go?" Dylan smiled, putting his arm around Rommie, "We got a unofficial reprimand, but it appears the other AI's don't like the regs as they stand, and have petitioned the Admiral to have them changed. Rather than alienate them, he agreed, but only after we gave our word that things wouldn't get as bad as they where on the Pax Magellanic." Rommie smiled, looking up at Dylan, "I think I can handle you without going mad." Dylan kissed her, "Good."  
  
TBC 


	11. Where do we go from here?

Echoes of future past, part 11  
  
Beka found Tyr in the gym, the place he went to when he needed time to think. She stood just inside the hatch, her arms rapping around her body unconsciously, "We need to talk: we can't put it off any longer." Tyr nodded, wiping the sweat from his face with a towel, "Ship, engage privacy mode." Andromeda's voice came from a speaker in the ceiling, "Privacy mode engaged."  
  
Tyr stood and walked over to Beka, "I know I once told you that I could never be attracted to a non- Nietzschean woman, but I think we both know that that is not true." Beka smiled slightly, "I kind of guessed that last month." She rested her hands on her stomach, "The question is, where do WE go from here, now we know the end result of these feelings?" Tyr took her hands and held them gently, "I think I love you Beka: I've never felt like this before. Nietzscheans aren't meant to feel like this for anyone but their children, but it's how I feel for you."  
  
Beka was speechless: she had never seen Tyr like this before, so tender and open about his feelings. She smiled softly, "I think I love you to. I know that it's a bit early in this relationship to contemplate having children, but that decision's been taken for us." Tyr smiled, running a hand down the side of her face, "True, but having meet Ryan, I know that any children I have with you will make us both proud." Beka smiled as she leaned forward and kissed him.  
  
Dylan was sat at his desk, trying to get through some of the paperwork that having a full crew again generated. He was grateful for the interruption when the door chimed, "Enter." He raised his eyebrow slightly when Beka and Tyr entered, hand in hand, "And what can I do for the two of you?" Tyr looked surprisingly nervous, so Beka took the lead, "We want to get married, as soon as possible." Dylan's eyes went wide for a second, then his face exploded in a broad grin. He stood and shook their hands, "Congratulations our in order I suppose!"  
  
Tyr seemed to relax, "We would like you to perform the marriage here, on the Andromeda." Dylan's face lit-up, "I'd be honoured! When are you planning to have the ceremony?" Beka blushed, "Is tomorrow to soon?" Dylan was forced to take a step back with shock, "Well, it's a bit short notice, but we should be able to arrange something. Where would you like the ceremony held?" Beka gripped Tyr's hand tightly "We thought the observation deck would be best. We want it to be a small event, just our close friends: just you, Rommie, Ryan, Andromeda, Trance and Harper."  
  
Dylan looked at Tyr, his eyebrow raised, "Since when did you start calling ether Rommie or Andromeda by their names, or even talking about them as separate entity's?" Tyr seemed to blush slightly, "I've had to re-asses a lot of my 'Nietzschean' thinking since Ryan arrived." He grinned slightly, "Maybe you 'inferiors' have something going for you after all."  
  
TBC 


	12. Things not said

Echoes of future past, part 12  
  
"This is just about the weirdest thing I've ever seen!" Exclaimed Harper as Beka and Tyr took to the dance floor after their wedding. Ryan smiled, "You think you're finding it wired? I'm at my parents wedding, but I'm not even going to be born for another, what, 7-months? Wired is not even close!" Trance giggled, "Well, it's not taken them so long to get to this point this time round: last time, Beka was so heavily pregnant that she could hardly fit into her dress." Ryan burst out laughing, "What a wonderful mental image you've just given me." Harper stood and held out his hand to Trance, "May I have this dance?" Trance smiled, "You may."  
  
As the two of them walked off to the dance floor, Andromeda's holographic form appeared next to Ryan, "What are you not telling us?" Ryan put his glass down; "the last thing I saw before I was sent back was the Maru's rear bulkhead giving way as the Magog attacked. In my time, if it could be said to be continuing, you're all dead. Yet, here I am, at my parents wedding, talking to you all, acting like nothings wrong." Andromeda lowered her eyes; "It must be very hard for you."  
  
Ryan reached round to the small of his back and produced a golden armband. He held it up before Andromeda then pointed to Beka, "This is all I ever had of my parents, save the Maru and a few photos." Andromeda examined the armband: there where a few dents and kicks, but she new without needing to scan it that it was indeed the same one that Beka now wore on her left arm. Andromeda was about to say something when her eyes went wide, and klaxons started going off all over the ship.  
  
Dylan looked at Rommie, "What is it?" she looked at him, "Over a dozen ships have just exited slipstream, heading our way!" Without another word, they all made their way to command, Andromeda simply dematerialising in one room, and reappearing in the other. Beka jumped into the pilot's station, slightly subconscious of the look's the rest of the crew gave her: it was the first time she had worn a dress while on duty.  
  
Tyr grabbed the weapons station as Dylan stopped in the centre of the room, "On screen." The image shifted to show over a dozen large Starship approaching the Commonwealth fleet. Dylan smiled, "Pyrian's!" Rommie stood next to them, "The Admiral has hailed them from the Wrath of Achilles, and it's being sent out on tight beam to the rest of the fleet." She smiled, "They're here to help." Dylan let out the breath he'd been holding, "As Rev Bem would say: Thank the Devine! Stand down from battle stations." He turned to Beka and Tyr, "Sorry for the interruptions, but there is a war on you know." He grinned.  
  
TBC 


	13. Ryan's plan

Sorry that this chapters taken a while, but I've been writing an Andromeda/Stargate SG1 crossover called Eye of the Storm.  
  
Echoes of future past, part 13  
  
Harper walked along the corridor until he reached one of the machine shops, and was surprised to find the door locked. He arched his brow, "Andromeda, why's this door locked?" The AI's holographic form appeared next to him, "I don't know: Ryan requested it's use, he said he had something to work on, then engaged privacy mode." Harper shook his head, and placed an over-ride on the door lock, opening it.  
  
The room was almost empty, apart from a strange looking device sitting on the workbench. Harper walked over and examined it, "It look's like some kind of free-vacuum energy generator, but I though that the knowledge to make them was lost with the fall of the Commonwealth?"  
  
"It was." Came a voice from behind Harper. He turned to see Ryan leaning against the wall, "But I found a flexi showing how to build one on Tarn- Vedra. I brought it back with me." Harper examined the generator, "Why do you need a power-source like this?" Ryan shut the door, blocking Andromeda out of the conversation, "I need it to blow something up, something big." Harper was scared by the look in Ryan's eye, "Like what?"  
  
Ryan smiled, walking over to the workbench, "Like the point-singularity cannon on the Magog world-ship: no matter how many ship's Dylan collects here for the attack, most of them are going to fall victim to that weapon." He rested his hands on the generator, "So I'm going to take it out of the equation." Harper was confused, "But how are you gong to get it close enough to use?" Ryan lifted the generator off of the table, "I'm going to fly it down the caesium that Dylan and Rommie used to rescue you and my farther when you where captured three years ago."  
  
Harper shook his head, "But that would be suicide!" Ryan smiled, "That's what you said when I came up with the plan. Look, I spent two years trying to come up with a plan to change the past to stop the Magog, and this is the only one that has a chance of working. Get out of my way."  
  
"You may be able to get past him, but not Me." Came a voce from the re- opened door. Harper looked round with relief, "Tyr! Maybe you can talk some sense into him." The Nietzschean nodded, walking into the room, "Your plan has only a slim chance of success, so is not worth the risk." Ryan looked at his farther, "I thought I explained it to you: I'm dead whatever happens. This way, I improve the chances of the me from this time, the one that Beka is still carrying, surviving to grow-up in a relatively safe universe."  
  
Tyr examined the young man, "That is a very Nietzschean way of thinking." Ryan nodded, "Well, I am your son after all. How do you expect me to think?" Tyr nodded, and stepped out of the way. Harper was shocked as Ryan walked off along to corridor, "How can you let him go like that?" Tyr looked down at the engineer, "Believe me, this is probably the last thing I want, but the logic is clear: he has only one thing to live for, the survival of his DNA. This is the best chance he has of that happening. It may not make sense to you, but it is most likely the only way." Harper shook his head, "Screw that!"  
  
Dylan was on duty in command when Harper found him, "Boss, we got a problem: Ryan's about to take a Slipfighter and go after the world-ship!" Dylan was confused, "What dose he hope to do with just a Slipfighter?" Harper looked worried, "He's managed to build a free-vacuum energy generator, and he's gong to try and take-out the point-singularity cannon. Tyr knows, but he's letting him go. You have to stop him!"  
  
TBC 


	14. Rational Transaction

Echoes of future past, part 14  
  
Dylan ran along the corridors at full speed, soon leaving the already tired Harper far behind. The engineer leaned against a bulkhead, trying to catch is breath, "Andromeda, you better tell Beka what's going on: if Dylan can't stop Ryan, maybe she can." The AI's face appeared on the screen next to him, "Confirmed. Harper, can I ask you a question?" He nodded, panting heavily, "Go ahead."  
  
Andromeda's holographic form appeared before him, "Why have you stopped calling me Rommie? You used to call me it all the time, but now you only use it when referring to my Avatar." Harper nodded, "It just feels a bit wired, calling the two of you by the same name now she's involved with Dylan. And even you have to admit that you're not the same person, that there are differences between the two of you." The hologram nodded, "I understand, and yes, we are different people now."  
  
The image on the screen looked shocked, "How can you say that? You're both projections of ME." The hologram scowled at the screen, "Then how come we argue so much? She always has been her own person, ever since Harper built her." Harper laughed, and the two Andromeda's looked at him, "What?" He grinned, "Have I ever told you how sexy you are when you argue with yourself?"  
  
Dylan rounded the corner into the hanger bay just as Ryan was connecting the free-vacuum energy generator to the Slipfighter, "Harpers told me what you're planning. I can't let you go through with it." Ryan jumped down from the back of the fighter, "And why pray-tell, is that?" Dylan between the younger man and the cockpit, "Because it's suicide, that's why."  
  
Ryan shook his head, "No, it's a rational-transaction: one life, one that forfeit already, for trillions. Look, if there was another way, I'd take it, but this is the only way we ever came up with that could affect the outcome enough to change history." Dylan was shocked, "Are you saying that the Rommie and Harper from your time knew you where planning this?" Ryan nodded, "Yes, and they told me not to tell anyone because you'd try and stop me."  
  
Beka appeared at the door, "Just what do you think you're planning to do?" Ryan turned to Dylan, "This is why I didn't want them to know: suicide missions on the part of a stranger they could have accepted without question, but now they know who I am, things re different." Beka stared at him, "Too bloody true things are different! I'm not letting you do this!" Ryan looked at her, "It's not a question of letting me do it: it's a question of just not stopping me. I am fully aware of the consequences of my actions, and I accept them, so you can't stop me under grounds of mental health."  
  
Dylan shook his head, "I can stop you. Andromeda, seal the hanger doors." The AI's holographic form appeared before him, "I'm sorry Dylan, but he has over ridden your command code." Dylan looked at Ryan, "How did you do that?" Ryan smiled, "I know the emergency override code that the High Guard installed: Rommie told me before I made the time-jump back here." He climbed into the cockpit of the Slipfighter, "You may want to get out of here, unless you can breath in a vacuum."  
  
TBC 


	15. His fathers son

Echoes of future past, part 15  
  
Without saying a word, Beka walked round in front of Ryan's Slipfighter and stood with her arms crossed. Ryan sat at the controls, just looking at her, not moving. A thin smile played on Beka's lips, "You can't do it, can you?" Ryan just shock his head.  
  
Dylan was confused, "What's going on?" Beka turned her head to look at him, "He can't open the hanger bay doors with me standing here, because I'll die, and that will stop him from being born. He's to Nietzschean to risk the prospect of having changed the timeline enough to stop it affecting him. Add to that; doubt he wants to kill his mother." Ryan powered down the Slipfighter and climbed out, "That was a very risky gamble you took there: had I not been who I claimed, I would have killed you." Beka smiled, "You're too much of you fathers son to do that. And speaking of him: I need to go have a serious talk with him about this if what Andromeda told me is true."  
  
Tyr was sat reading a book when Beka walked in. He turned to face her, but before he could say anything, her fist shot round at high-speed, sending him flying from his chair and onto the floor of their quarters. He rubbed his jaw, shocked by the force of the blow, "I take it you've found out about Ryan's plan." Beka's gaze could have melted a hole in the bulkhead if it wasn't directed at her husband, "Yes I found out, but I was able to stop him before he went thought with it! How could you have let him go?" Tyr slowly got to his feet, "it made sense to me."  
  
He had more sense than to dodge the second blow, but by rolling with it, was able to minimise the force. Beka was fuming, "Made sense to you? He's our son, and you where going to let him commit suicide?" Tyr took a step back, "I'm trying to see it from his point of view: he's dead what ever happens, but he'll still be alive if he can find a way to change what he considers the past enough to keep the rest of us alive."  
  
Two decks up and a few meters across, a similar argument was underway in Dylan's quarters. "What do you mean: I can understand why she did it?" he screamed at Rommie. The Avatar looked at him, "In the future Ryan comes from I never told you how I felt, and we never ended up together like we are now. If that happened to me, and I had a chance to change things, I know I'd do whatever I felt necessary. I love you Dylan, and the thought of you dieing before I ever told you has almost driven me crazy before now: back when we where looking for Tyr and Harper on the World-ship, I wanted to tell you, but you stopped me." Dylan sat down, things finally starting to make sense, "I always wounded what you had tried to tell me, but I was afraid to ask in case it was something I didn't want to hear." He looked up at Rommie; "It was so soon after Gabriel's death that I was worried you blamed me for it. I'm sorry."  
  
Rommie sat down next to him, "It's ok, I can understand why you where upset: you're the captain, and as such you're meant to have full control of the ship, but you have to understand that I, not Andromeda, but me, would do anything to keep you safe." Dylan went to say something, but Rommie stopped him, "I knew that as a High Guard officer I have a duty, and that in the course of that duty, it may one day be necessary for one of us to die for the grater good, but I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you." Dylan smiled, putting an arm around Rommie, "I wonder how things are going between Beka and Tyr?"  
  
Tyr hit the bulkhead face-first, an injury that was added to by his book hitting him in the back of the head a few moments later. Beka stood in the doorway, looking like she was about to say something, but instead just closed the door. Tyr rubbed the side of his face, trying to get some of the feeling back: if this was married life, why had he wanted it so badly for so long?  
  
TBC 


	16. Fashionably late

Echoes of future past, part 16  
  
Dylan was sat at his desk when the door chimed, "Enter." It opened to reveal Ryan, a Lancer guard on ever side, "You wanted to talk to me, captain." Dylan dismissed the guards, "Yes: why did you try something as stupid as that?" Ryan smiled as he sat down, "You consider it stupid, I consider it the only thing to do: try and remember, I grew up in a universe where every day was a struggle to keep one steep ahead of the Magog. I think I can be forgiven for not wanting to see that happen again."  
  
Dylan frowned, "You know that Beka and Tyr aren't talking because of this?" Ryan shrugged, "Not really my problem: if she can't accept that he was in no position to stop me, then I don't see what I can do about it." Dylan was shocked, "Doesn't this impede your chances of survival in some why?" Ryan shook his head, "No, not really. Beka is still pregnant, so I'm still due to be born in about 7 or 8 months time. My parents being together or not is not something I consider that important. Defeating the Magog however, is." Dylan gave up, "Just talk to her for me, please."  
  
Ryan nodded, and pulled a flexi from his pocket, "I've gone over my original plane again, and I think I've found a way to carry it out without anyone getting killed, or at lest, with a greatly reduced chance of someone getting killed." Dylan took the flexi and read it, "I think you're going to have a hard time selling this to Beka: taking the Maru back into the World- Ship to plant that bomb of yours then high-tailing it out again would be risky." Ryan smiled, "Nothing worth doing is without risk."  
  
Dylan nodded, "True, but you'd need at lest four people for this mission: who did you have in mind?" Ryan arched his figures, "Myself, You, Rommie and Tyr. Next to my mother, I'm the best pilot on this ship. Both you and Rommie have been on the world ship before, and so know what it's like there. And as for my farther, well, he's Nietzschean: you never know when we might need his added strength and skill." Dylan re-read the flexi, "I can't say I happy with the idea of going back down there voluntarily, or of asking Rommie or Tyr to go back, but I see the value in your plan." Ryan smiled, "So we'll try?" Dylan thought on it for a second, "I'll go over it with the others, see if we can tweak it a little, than put it to the Admiral: I can't just run-off and leave my ship without at lest telling him.  
  
Alarm klaxons started going off, sending Dylan and Ryan running to command into to see a fleet of over a hundred Nietzschean ship's emerge from Slipstream. Dylan looked at the main view screen, "This could be very good, or very, very, bad." Rommie turned to him, "The lead Nietzschean ship is hailing us directly." Dylan raised an eyebrow, "Put it through." A familiar face appeared on the main screen, "Captain Hunt, long time no see." Dylan smiled, "Charlemagne Bolivar: you're the last person I expected to see here." The Nietzschean smiled, "Well, a little slip-courier told me that you're about to go off on some insanely-heroic suicide mission, and I decided that if you're going to get yourself killed, I want to at lest be there to watch. Now if you don't mind telling your friends that we're friendly, we can stop targeting each other."  
  
Dylan smiled, "Join the party."  
  
TBC 


	17. Advantages of being in a relationship

Echoes of future past, part 17  
  
Dylan leaned back in his chair, drained by what had turned into a very long day: not long after Bolivar had arrived with a fleet of ship's from over a dozen Nietzschean prides, a second fleet, this time numbering in the thousands, had arrived from San-Ska-Re. The Than commander had been a bit hesitant at allying himself with Nietzscheans, but had been talked round in the end.  
  
After that, he had spent several hours going over Ryan's revised plan with the others, trying to turn it into something that might really work. This had not been helped by the coldness that existed between Beka and Tyr, even after Ryan and spoken to the two of them. But at lest they where talking again. After several hours of brainstorming they had all become tired, and Dylan had called it a night, telling them to come back the next day.  
  
Rommie stood behind him and started to rub his shoulders, "You should try to relax Dylan: stress is not good for you." Dylan smiled, looking up at her, "If it's so bad for me, why is this the first time you've given me a neck-rub?" Rommie kissed him on the forehead, "Because this is the first time you've needed one since we started sleeping together: before now it would have been inappropriate." Dylan laughed, "Yet another advantage of being in a relationship. I'd offer to give you a neck rub, but I don't think it would work on you." Rommie smiled, "There are other things you could do." Dylan grinned, pulling her down on the chair arm, "Like what?"  
  
****************************  
  
Dylan's arm reached out from under the sheets and swatted the alarm clock, sending it crashing to the floor, but not silencing it. His hand groped around the area below his bed until he found it and hit the snooze button. He looked at the screen, and then turned it the right way up. Could it really be morning already? He normally woke before the alarm went off: How much sleep had he gotten?  
  
His ears picked up the sound of running water, and the feeling of fullness coming from his bladder increased ten-fold. He claimed out of bed and staggered to the bathroom. He opened the door and was hit by a wall of steam. He waved it out of the way with his hand before attempting to venture deeper into the room. His sleep-heavy eyes slowly brought things into focus, and he wondered for a second if he was still asleep and dreaming: Rommie stood in the shower, washing her hair. Dylan coughed gently, and, turning the water off, she looked round, "I was wondering when you where going to wake up."  
  
Dylan smiled, "I didn't get a lot of sleep now did I." Rommie smiled, "Well you have no one to blame but yourself for that." Dylan tried to grin, but it turned into a yawn, "I didn't see you complaining." Rommie smiled, "Well get yourself sorted out: I thing I've found a way to take out the point- singularity cannon and get away again."  
  
TBC 


	18. Ryan's plan, Mk2

(I don't know if my muse has returned, or if I'm just to bloody-minded to stop, but here is the next chapter.)  
  
Echoes of future past, part 18  
  
Dylan sat reading the flexi Rommie had handed him, "When did you come up with this?" She smiled, "Last night." Dylan looked at her, "You found the time to do all this last night? I'm not sure how I should take that." Rommie laughed, "Don't worry: I was more than satisfied last night. But unlike you, I don't need to sleep if I don't want to. I waited until you had fallen asleep and then did a little work. So what do you think?" Dylan looked at the flexi again, "It's bold, dangerous, and it will take a few days to get everything sorted out, but I think it's the best plan we've come up with, so I'll take it to the Admiral." Rommie smiled, "Good. Now I'm on duty in five minuets, so I'll see you at lunch?" Dylan nodded, "If I'm back from seeing the Admiral on the Wrath of Achilles: he's still a little upset with that petition the other AI's signed to get us out of trouble." Rommie stopped in the doorway, "Well, good luck anyway."  
  
Beka was sat at the controls of the Eureka Maru when Dylan made his way through the airlock, "I didn't know you where on transport duty?" Beka shrugged, "What's the point in being a pilot and owning a ship if you never get a chance to fly it. I am the best pilot in the fleet." Dylan shook his head, "You are not coming on the mission, and that is that. I've had Tyr, Ryan and Trance all but threaten me with physical violence if I let you. And as my first officer, your place is on the Andromeda in case anything happens to me." Beka span the pilots seat round to face him, "Doesn't mean I have to like it: You're talking about taking my ship, my husband and my son on a mission so dangerous that none of the bookmakers on-ship are wiling to offer anything other than 50/50 on any of you coming back." Dylan shook his head, "Gambling on my ship? I hope the Admiral never finds out."  
  
Dylan made his way back to the Maru after the meeting with the Admiral and his aide. Beka was waiting for him in the airlock, "Well?" Dylan smiled slightly, "He's given the go-ahead for the mission as Rommie suggested it. We have two days to get ready, another three to carry it out, then the fleets move in, whether we succeed or not. If we're still on the World Ship when they arrive, he won't send anyone after us." Beka nodded, "Well, I'll go over the ship with Harper and we'll get her working at maximum efficiency. If Ryan's as good as he says, and being my son, he should be, you may survive this crazy mission." Dylan nodded as they made their way back to the Andromeda.  
  
Rommie was sat at a table with Harper and Trance when Dylan and Beka came in. She smiled slightly as Dylan sat down, "How did it go?" He handed her a flexi, "He said yes, but with conditions: there is a time limit, and if we don't finish by the time the rest of the fleet arrive, they won't stop from firing everything they have at the World Ship. That means Andromeda too." The AI's holographic form appeared next to the table, "I understand, and I will follow any orders I receive from the Admiral, but promise me you'll come back, all of you." Dylan smiled, taking Rommie's hand in his, "We'll be back, I promise."  
  
TBC 


	19. A much needed talk

Echoes of future past, part 19  
  
Beka and Harper where working on the Maru's engines when Ryan found them, "Anything I can help with? I did grow up on this ship." Harper looked at Beka, who nodded, "The slipstream lens needs replacing: the old one is warn and might give out under high-G manoeuvring." Ryan nodded, and made his way to the quartermaster's office to get a replacement.  
  
Harper turned to Beka, "Are you going to keep up this coldness towards him until we leave, and you risk never having the chance to tell him how you really feel?" Beka put down the wrench she had been using, "I don't know how I feel Harper: I'm still getting used to the idea of being pregnant, and of somehow having my grownup son walking around, seemingly intent on killing himself on some half-baked attempt to alter his past." She took a deep breath, "You'd have thought that hanging around with Trance would have prepared me for this sort of thing, but it's still to strange for me to understand. I look at Ryan, and I see bit's of Tyr, bit's of me, bits of you and Rommie, and I can't help feel that I should have been there to see him grow up."  
  
Sighing, Harper cleaned his hands on a rag, "I wasn't going to tell you this, but I asked Ryan how you died." Beka looked at him, a slight hint of fear in her eyes, "And?" Harper sat down on the deck next to Beka, "He told me that you where giving birth to him as the Magog attacked, and that it was only the fact that you where in medical that saved you and Rommie. When Command was destroyed, you made the decision to make a run for the Maru. You where making your way to the hanger deck when you ran into me." He swallowed, "It was just after that that the Magog fired another point- singularity round and a support-beam fell on you. Rommie and me tried to move it, but we couldn't. You grabbed me and handed Ryan over, telling me to keep him safe. Then you died. Rommie and me made it to the Maru and got away moments before the Andromeda exploded."  
  
Beka looked more than a little shocked, "That's how I die?" Harper shrugged, "That's what happened in Ryan's timeline: his coming back here changes things. You could die today, you could die then, you could die fifty years from now. Who knows? Well, maybe Trance. Anyway, you had more of an impact on his life then I think you give yourself credit for. I kind of know how you feel about his state of mind: I like the guy, and I've kind of gotten used to having him around, and I think that this 'rational- transaction' stuff of his is crazy, but it's his decision to make." Beka nodded, "Ok, I get what you're saying: I'll talk to him."  
  
Ryan was just finishing with the slipstream lens when Beka walked in, "I need to talk to you." Ryan put the calibrator and turned to face her, "Ok: talk." Beka took a deep breath, "I'm still having trouble with the whole 'you're my un-borne son come back to change the past' thing, but I am getting used to having you around, but you seem intent on killing yourself, and that's driving me crazy. Tyr thinking it's a good idea makes it worse." Ryan sat down next to his mother, "Believe me: I wish my life had worked out different, and now I have a chance to make that happen. My farther doesn't think that this is a good idea, he just understand where I'm coming from. Don't blame him for my actions." Beka nodded, putting her arms round Ryan, "Just make sure he comes back in one piece."  
  
TBC 


	20. Preparing for departure

I work better when I have feed-back (hint-hint)  
  
Echoes of future past, part 20  
  
"We ready to go?" Dylan asked, looking round his quarters. Rommie nodded, lifting her bag up onto the table, "We still have two hours until the Maru is supposed to depart." Dylan looked around the room, his eyes unfocused. Rommie smiled, "Penny for your thoughts." Dylan blinked, "Sorry, it's just that, I've always know that this was coming, that someday we'd have to go up against the World Ship again, but I'd always hopped that we'd be in a better position to do it." Rommie looked at him, "We are in a better position now then we would have been if Ryan hadn't come back and warned us. This is a good plan, and I'm not just saying that because I came up with it. As Rev Bem would say, 'Trust in the Divine.' Oh, and take your shirt off." Dylan blinked as Rommie started to undo her tunic, "What are you doing?" Rommie smiled, "Like I said: we have two hours until the Maru is set to depart. This is going to be our last chance to be alone till we get back." With that, she pushed him back onto the bed.  
  
Tyr was, as ever, working out in the gym when Beka found him. He wiped the sweet from his face as he sat up to look at her, "Have you come here to give me another lecture about what being a good parent is? Because if you have, I'm not going to stay and listen to it." Beka shook her head, "No, I'm not here to lecture you, I'm here to apologise: I spoke to Ryan yesterday, and he helped me to understand why he wanted to do what he tried to do, and your reaction to it. After all I've ever learnt about Nietzscheans I find it a bit hard to understand how you could let him do that, but I think I understand why." Tyr nodded, "It was not easy for me to let Ryan go: I have also grown somewhat fond of him, but if I was in his position, I would do the same thing." He sighed, "I can't even begin to understand what his life has been like, what he's gone through to bring him to this point, but he is someone I'd be proud to call my son." Beka smiled, "Good, because I intend for him to have little brothers and sisters."  
  
Harper was making a few last minuet adjustments to the Maru, and was surprised when Trance walked in, bag in hand, "Hay, what's that? Supplies?" Trance shook her head, "No, it's the things I'm taking on the mission with me." Harper looked at her, "Since when are you on the mission?" Trance put the bag down on her bunk, "Since I've spent more years then I care to remember getting to this point." She walked up to Harper and put her hands on his shoulders, "Seamus, I'm about to tell you something, and you can't tell anyone, ok?" Harper nodded, "Ok." Trance smiled, "Ryan didn't come back from the same future I did, he came back from one of the future's I've been to." Harper looked confused, "Just how many times have you been through this?" Trance smiled, "Well, this is the first time anyone has tried something like this, but I've be to 2,386 possible futures, and although we defeat the World Ship in a lot of them, there are always complications. I need to go on this mission: I have a feeling that this maybe the one that works out." Harper looked utterly confused, "Wow, ok, that's like, big!" Trance put her arms around him, "There is a lot more I wish I could tell you, but there are, well, lets just say it would be bad for your personal safety if you new too much."  
  
TBC  
  
My Muse is still AWOL: this chapter took like five days to write. 


	21. Good to go

Echoes of future past, part 21  
  
Ryan walked from the Maru's mess hall to the cockpit, a mug of coffee in his hand, and blinked when he saw Trance standing at the navigation council, "I take it you're planning on coming with us on this trip then?" Trance nodded, "Yes, and I suggest you don't try and stop me." Ryan raised an eyebrow; "You've mistaken me for someone who gives a shit: I couldn't care less who's on this mission, with the sole exception of my mother, and as long as you don't do anything that endangers what we're trying to do, you can do what you like." Trance looked at him, "You really mean that, don't you?" Ryan nodded, "How many times do I have to say it: YES!" Trance walked up to him, "If it became necessary for the five of us to die to stop the World Ship, would you." She trailed off. Ryan looked at her, his head tilted to the side slightly, "What? Kill you all?" Trance nodded, "Yes." Ryan looked at her, his face set like stone, "In a moment: Stopping the World Ship is more important then anything else in the universe. I will do whatever it takes to for-fill this mission." Trance let out a berth, "Well, that makes two of us."  
  
They where interrupted by the sound of the airlock opening and Dylan and Rommie walking in, arm in arm. Ryan looked at them, "I would have thought that the two of you would have been here sooner." Dylan kept his face straight; "I had to have a last minuet word with the Admiral." Ryan smiled, "So that's why your shirt is on inside out." Dylan turned bright red, making Rommie laugh, "Hay, it was our last chance to spend some time together alone before we go on this mission, can you really blame us?" Ryan smiled, "Considering what Trance and Harper where up to before I got here, no, not really." Trance's jaw dropped, "How did you know about that?" Ryan tapped his nose, "I'm half Nietzschean remember: genetically enhanced sense of smell. And he was grinning like a Cheshire Cat when I passed him in the corridor: he's only like that after he get's lucky."  
  
Dylan shook his head, "I'd say that it was about time the two of you did something about how you feel, but I'm the last person to preach about that." Rommie hugged him, "Well, I'd say you've made up for it this last week." Dylan blushed again, "Do we have to have this discussion in public like this?" Ryan smiled, "Hay, we're all adults. Well, I think Rommie counts as an adult, even if she is only four. And I don't know about Trance, but it would take a lot more than this to embarrass me." Beka and Tyr chose this point in time to walk in, arms around each other. Ryan looked at them and shook his head, "Am I the only one keeping my mind on the mission?" He walked over to the pilots seat and sat down. Beka looked at Trance, who shook her head. Beka put her arms around Tyr and kissed him, "Come back safe and in one peace will you?" He smiled, "I always do." Tires welling up in her eyes, Beka turned and left.  
  
Ryan waited until he was sure she was away and through the airlock before he brought the engines on line. Dylan looked over at Trance, and shrugged: if she felt she was needed on this mission, he knew enough to take her word for it. Rommie stood at the engineering station, "ECM generators are on- line, and engines are at 100%. We are good to go." Ryan nodded and glided the Maru out of the hanger and out into space. Without a word, they took their places as the Maru entered slipstream.  
  
TBC 


	22. Getting there is the easy part…

Echoes of future past, part 22  
  
Rommie took a few sidesteps so that she was standing next to Trance. She looked at the golden-skinned alien, a smile on her lips, "So, you and Harper huh?" Trace smiled back, "I got tired of waiting for him to make the first move, and decided to take to offensive. I didn't get the impression that he minded all that much." Rommie nodded, "Harper's feelings for you have always been strong: that's why he was a little, shall we say 'upset' when you swapped places with your old self." Trance nodded, "I know: I missed him. I mean, I missed all of you, but I missed Harper the most." Rommie nodded, "I understand."  
  
Dylan stood behind the pilots seat as Ryan brought the Maru out of slipstream at the first transit point, "I must say I'm impressed with how you handle slipstream." Ryan smiled, "Hay, I've been flying the cords since I was old enough to reach both controls at the same time. When you have a few trillion Magog on your tail, you get good or you get eaten." Tyr smiled, "You certainly have your mothers affinity for this ship." Dylan turned to face the Nietzschean, "I'm glad to see the two of you have patched things up: I was thinking of havening you transferred to another ship it was so bad." Tyr smiled again, "I assure you Captain Hunt, that had you tried you would have suffered an unfortunate accident before the paper work want through."  
  
"And you would have suffered a painful death soon after that, Mr Anasazi." Came the voice from behind. Try and Dylan looked round to see Rommie standing in the hatchway, one hand on her forcelance. Dylan smiled, "What was it you told me once: pray that no harm ever comes to that ship of mine because it's the only thing in the universe that could protect me from you?" Tyr grinned, "Yes, well, having her romantically involved with you dose change things a little: I will have to remember that before I threaten you again." Rommie laughed, "I'll deal with you later."  
  
With a shudder, Ryan brought the Maru out of slipstream, and unbuckled the restraints holding him in the pilots seat, "Ok, next slip 'ill take us to Magog central, and it's game time from then on. Anything you want to do before the fun begins, do it now." He looked at Dylan and Rommie, "And there are limits as to what I mean by 'anything'." The two of them blushed as Ryan headed off to the crew quarters and the bathroom beyond. Trance started running the last few checks on the Maru's systems while Dylan, Rommie and Tyr started checking their various weapons and unpacked the Lancer armour that they would wear while on the World Ship.  
  
Ryan strolled back into the cockpit, a gun-belt now securely tight around his waist, twin large calibre Gauss-pistols hanging off it, and a forcelance strapped to his lower thigh. He grabbed his armour, weighed it in his hands, and with a shrugged, rested it against the pilots seat. He sat down and gripped the controls tightly, "If anyone has anything they'd like to say, now's the time." They looked at each other, no one saying a word. Ryan shrugged, "Well, don't say later that I didn't give you the chance."  
  
Dylan found himself taking Rommie's hand in his as the Maru made the final trancit to slipstream.  
  
TBC 


	23. Spirit of Darkness, Spirit of Light

You all have Troll99 to tank for this chapter: the latest chapter of 'Android or Human' gave my Muse a kick in the pants, and she's behaving herself a lot more now (even if she did make me start an Andromeda/Star Trek story you can find under TV-Crossovers)  
  
Echoes of future past, part 23  
  
Deep within the Magog World Ship, the entity known as the spirit of the Spirit of the Abyss stirred: the Adversary was returning for the final battle. The Abyss was slightly angry with its self that it had not taken care of them when he first felt its power, oh so many thousands of years ago, in a galaxy long fallen to his minions, the Harbingers of the Abyss, the Magog. When the Abyss had first come across its race, it had been intrigued with them, and had almost been destroyed as a result.  
  
That race had been more powerful then anything the Abyss had ever encountered, before or since, and they had used their power to try and stop the Abyss from concurring that particular Galaxy. But the Abyss had learned of their plans, and struck: the huge Point-Singularity Projector built into the World Ship had fired over a dozen of its deadly rounds into the races home-world, almost completely destroying them in one go.  
  
It was the 'almost' part that was the problem.  
  
In one last act of defiance, and example of their power, the race had channelled all their life energy into creating a Spirit of Light, a Warrior destined to fight the Abyss wherever it went. So far, it had failed, but then it had never challenged the Abyss as directly as it was doing now. It had almost been in the Abyss grasp once before, but it had escaped, and robed the Abyss of it's prise.  
  
Not this time: the powerful warship that had almost destroyed the World Ship was not approaching this time. No, instead the Spirit of Light was trying to approach unseen on a tiny cargo ship, using its primitive technology to try and hide from the Abyss.  
  
The Abyss roared with laughter: the Adversary had no idea what it was.  
  
Onboard the Maru, Trance felt the Spirit of the Abyss reach out into the void of space. She sighed: it was time to revel her true self, and one of her friend's true destinies. She rested her hand on the back of Dylan's head, "Remember."  
  
TBC  
  
(Like I said, my Muse isn't playing ball, so this chapter was a bit shorter then I would have liked. But, hopefully, she'll start doing what she's told again and the next chapter will be better) 


	24. An echo of what was lost

Ok, my mind I wondering and I haven't a clue if my muse is around, but here goes: my take on the truth about Trance Gemini.  
  
Echoes of future past, part 24  
  
Dylan felt like his mind was on fire: every nerve ending and neuron burned like the surface of a star. His senses screamed at him as they one by one shut down from total overload. His vision was a kaleidoscopic nightmare that burned its self into his mind. Then everything stopped, and he found himself standing in a meadow of vivid-purple grass, under an azure sky. An intricate system of ring crossed the sky, and several large moons reflected the light of twin suns. He looked around, "Where am I?" his voice seemed to echo off of the very air.  
  
"This is my home world, or rather, it is a memory of my home world: it was destroyed 15,000 of your years ago." Trance stepped forward to stand beside him, "This memory is imprinted in your mind, an echo of what was lost." Dylan looked at her, "I don't understand." Trance smiled, "This is the world of my birth, it is where I grew up. My people never bother to reach for the stars: when you have a home like this, what can the rest of the universe have to offer? But some of us, my self included, felt confined by it, and took passage on passing star ships: we set out to explore what lay beyond the horizon." Trances face fell, "That is how we came to the attention of the Spirit of the Abyss."  
  
"We never found out what it is or where it came from, but it struck our galaxy as it is now poised to strike at yours: our neighbours in space tried to fight it, but one by one they fell. Some of my people found that they could control the Magog to an extent, lessen their rage, keep them for doing as much damage as they would have on their own." She looked up at Dylan, "It was our greatest gift, an ultimately, our undoing. I'm sure you've noticed that I have curtain abilities that defy what you consider to be the laws of nature: well, on mass, the combined power of my people could be staggering. Several younger races mistook us for Gods, worshiped us. I have to admit that I have let that happen to my self on more than one occasion, but I'm getting away from the point."  
  
Trance sat down in the long grass, "My people decided to make a stand against the Spirit of the Abyss, but it had corrupted some of us, convinced them to serve its dark purposes. They got word back to the World Ship as to what was planed, and the Abyss decided to strike first." Dylan could see tires rolling down her cheeks as she continued, "One day, while I was off looking for other members of my race, the World Ship appeared in this system, and fired its Point Singularity Projector at my home. The entire planet was ripped apart from the inside out."  
  
Dylan sat down next to Trance and put his arm around her as she continued to tell her story, "In a final act of defiance, the entire population of my world combined their powers to create a life-force that could stand against the Spirit of the Abyss, could fight it on equal terms. In order to keep this life form, this Spirit of Life, it was sent far away from our galaxy to a place where it could build its strength until the final battle was at hand." She looked across to Dylan, "That Spirit is in you Dylan."  
  
TBC 


	25. Destiny

Echoes of future past, part 25  
  
Dylan was taken aback by what Trance had said, "What do you mean, 'the Spirit is in me'?" Trance smiled slightly, "The Spirit of Light has no physical manifestation as you would understand it: it is an energy field, what you would call a Soul. For 15,000-years it has acted as the inspiration on a dozen worlds: When the Vedrans discovered Slipstream, it was the Spirit of Light that guided the researcher who made the important breakthrough. On the Ayn Rand Station, it helped to create the Nietzscheans. All these little things, leading to this point in time: the final stand against the Abyss, the Adversary."  
  
The twin suns where setting, casting rainbow-like patterns across the planets rings. Trance smiled, "This was always my favourite place." She turned slightly, pointing across the valley to a small wood beyond, "My home-town is just past that forest. I used to play here with my friends when I was a child. I would sit here and watch the sunlight play on the rings as the day ended. In all my travels I'm yet to find a sight as beautiful as this."  
  
Trance turned back to Dylan, "Everything in your life has been pre- determined to bring you to this point: Your birth, joining the High Guard, becoming Captain of the Andromeda, being frozen by the Black Hole, all of it, has happened so that YOU are here to face the Spirit of the Abyss." Dylan was lost for words: his entire life had been pre-arranged so the he would have to fight the Abyss. He turned to Trance, "The Fall, the Long Night, all that has happened, all of it just so I'd be here?" Trance nodded, "Kind of takes it out of you. I've explained this to you over 2,000 times, and you've always had trouble believing it. I know it's a lot to take in, but you have to believe me when I tell you that it's the truth."  
  
Dylan nodded, "What do I need to do?" Trance smiled, "I can't tell you: I wish I could, but there are some things that are hidden, even from me. All I can say is that you will know what to do when the time comes. Everything else, what comes after, still remains to be seen." She looked round, "Time to go: the others are getting worried." The world around them seemed to fade to darkness.  
  
Dylan found himself lying on the deck of the Maru, Rommie leaning over him, a concerned expression on her face, "Dylan, are you ok?" Dylan smiled, "I could get used to this." Rommie relaxed, "Do this to me again and you'll not get the chance." He pulled her head down and kissed her, "Your not getting rid of me that easily." Rommie helped Dylan to his feet, and he saw the Magog World Ship through the Maru's view port.  
  
TBC  
  
Ok, I am now offering a cash reword of the return of my Muse: £50, DEAD OR ALIVE!  
  
That should get her back! 


	26. Into the Heart of Darkness

@ Gordon AI: Trance's "I've explained this to you over 2,000 times" line has its bases back in chapter 20 when she told Harper how many times she's tried to fix the past and failed.  
  
Echoes of future past, part 26  
  
Ryan slowly brought the Maru towards the World Ship, using the manoeuvring thrusters and its inerter to guide it towards the cavern on the planet containing the Point Singularity Projector. Dylan looked out of the window, "I'd forgotten how big this thing is!" Ryan looked at the navigation console, "Well, take a good look, because next time you see it it'll be going past at high speed."  
  
The Maru rocked slightly as it started its decent into the cavern. The external lights where set low, belay eliminating the near wall as the cargo ship fell. At the 10-km mark, Ryan fired the retros again, and the Maru came to a gentle stop on the cavern floor. Tyr brought the active sensors on-line long enough for one quick sweep, "Ok, looks clear. I think I've found the path that leads to the PSP." Trance looked at the screen, "Yes that's the one. We should hurry: it wont be long before the Spirit of the Abyss sends the Magog after us." Tyr looked at her, "It doesn't even know we're here." Trance looked him in the eye, "Believe me, it knows."  
  
The five of them started to make their way along the passageways, Rommie in the lead, then Trance, Ryan carrying the free-vacuum energy generator, then Dylan, with Try bringing up the rear. The rock floor of the passage way threatened to trip them up with every step, and the ever present danger of a Magog attack kept them all on edge.  
  
When the attack finally came it was vicious, but surprisingly short: two- dozen Magog came at them when they reached a fork in the path, but quickly died under their guns. The attacks continued: always fast and hard, but never large enough to overwhelm them. Dylan turned to Trance after one such fight, "It's toying with us, isn't it?" Trance nodded, "You have to understand, the Spirit of the Abyss is a being of pure Evil: it gains pleaser and strength from the suffering of others. It will push us to breaking point, but never beyond. Not until we are face to face with it."  
  
Dylan looked at the next fork in the road, "To the left is the PSP, to the right, the Spirit of the Abyss. Don't ask me how I know, I just know." Turning round to see the other looking at him, he swallowed hard, "I have to face him." Trance nodded, "I'll go with you." Rommie stepped forward, "HELL NO! If anyone's going with him, it's me." Dylan rested his hands on her shoulders, "I need you to get the bomb to the PSP." Rommie looked up at him, fear in her eyes "I'm not leaving you, not like this." Dylan smiled slightly, "Where I am going, you can not follow: This is something I have to do, something you can't help me with." Tires started to role down Rommie's Cheek, "I don't want to loose you." Dylan leaned down and kissed her, "Your not going to, I promise." He turned to Try; "We'll see you back at the ship." The Nietzschean nodded, "We'll be waiting."  
  
TBC 


	27. Face to face with the Spirit of the Abys...

Sorry, but I still have writers block :-(  
  
Echoes of future past, part 27  
  
Rommie led the way towards the PSP's control room, constantly on the lookout for more Magog. They didn't have long to wait before they where ambushed again, this time by gun-touting Magog like the one who had lead the attack on Andromeda five years before. The passageway echoed to the sound of gunfire as the three of them tried to fight the Magog off.  
  
********************************  
  
Dylan and Trance continued along the path that lead to the Spirit of the Abyss, unaware of the trouble the others where in. The passageway twisted and turned, leading them deeper and deeper into the World Ship. Despite Trance's reassurances, Dylan still felt like they where walking into a trap. The passage way finaly opend out into a massive round chamber that was so large Dylan couldn't make out any detail on the far side. In its very center stood a long finger of rock, kilometres high, standing like some lone sentinel. Dylan felt himself drawn to it, like it had some magnetic attraction that was pulling him towards it.  
  
He went to step onto the first of a series of floating stone platforms that led to the centre when Trance stopped him, "before we go any further, I have to warn you that the Spirit of the Abyss will do anything to try and stop you: you have within you the ability to great good, or great evil. The Spirit of the Abyss will try and get you to take the path of evil, and say or do anything to trick you. What ever happens, try and keep you mind set on stopping it." Dylan nodded, "I understand." They started to make their way across the cavern to the center.  
  
********************************  
  
Rommie kicked the last of the dead Magog off of the generator and looked it over while Tyr and Ryan kept watch for any more attackers. The hard steel case containing the generator seemed un-damaged, aside from a few scorch marks from ricochets, and the self-dynastic system indicated that it was all working perfectly, "Ok, looks like we where lucky." She looked along the passageway, "We better get moving: I want to set this thing up and get back so we can help Dylan as fast as we can." Tyr nodded as Ryan lifted the generator back onto his shoulder. Rommie again took point as they headed deeper and deeper into the World Ship, hopefully towards the PSP.  
  
********************************  
  
Dylan and Trance reached the column of rock in the center of the main chamber and found themselves face-to-face with the Spirit of the Abyss. Its form seemed to ripple; it's bright red eyes looking into their very souls. They stood motionless as its form shifted, becoming more defined. Dylan gasped as the image finally solidified.  
  
"Hello Dylan: I've been waiting for you." Said the duplicate of Sara Riley.  
  
TBC 


	28. Mined games

Echoes of future past, part 28  
  
Dylan's jaw dropped, "What the hell?" Sara looked at him coyly, "Come now Dylan, I know it's been a while, but you must recognise the woman you where going to marry?" Dylan shook his head, "No, this is some kind of sick joke: Sara Riley died on Tarazed almost 300-years ago." Sara smiled, "Did I? Did any of them there tell you what happened to me? No? They didn't tell you about my plan to keep Tarazed safe by striking a deal with the Magog, that I took the Starry Wisdom to find the World Ship?" Dylan shook his head, "No, you're just making this up to try and trick me into doing what you want!"  
  
Trance took a step forwards, "Your mind games wonk work on him, he's too strong for you." Sara turned and looked down her nose at Trance, "Oh, it's one of 'you' is it. I thought I'd killed you all?" Trance shook her head, "There are still some of us out there, working against you." Sara laughed, "Is that what you call it? Pretending to be gods so that other races will do what you say." She turned back to Dylan, "Honestly, you used to have better taste in friends: Rhade may have helped topple the Commonwealth, but at lest you know WHAT he was!" She turned back to back to Trance, "Have you even told him the truth? Where I really come from? What you really are?"  
  
Dylan took a slight stop back, "She told me that you attacked her galaxy, and that her people created the Spirit of Light, me, to try and stop you." Sara smiled, "'Always planet a lie inside the truth, it makes it easer to swallow.' Ok, I admit, I'm not Sara Riley, but at lest I'm willing to admit to my lie." She turned to point at Trance, "Your friend the General here isn't so forthcoming." Dylan looked at Trances, expecting to receive a counter to Sara's words, but instead he saw the undeniable look of someone caught-out. He looked at her, "Trance, what haven't you told me?" Trance looked back at him, her eyes pleading, "There are something I could never tell you Dylan, but you have to believe me when I say that I would never do anything to hurt you or the others!" Dylan took another step back, "Just what the hell is going on here!"  
  
Sara smiled, "Well let me see. There was a war, unlike any you have ever heard of: entire galaxies where in flame as two warring factions attempted to gain power. Entire worlds where wiped from existence, species after species where exterminated as the two sides waged unlimited warfare against each other." She turned to look at Trance, "Then one side got the upper hand, and started to push the oppression back, world-by-world, galaxy-by- galaxy, until they where at the point of victory. In a last desperate act, the other side created a weapon designed to save their Homeworld from destruction."  
  
She turned to Dylan and smiled, "That weapon was I." The duplicates image rippled, returning to the familiar 'human lava-lamp' look as Harper had once called it. "I was created to try and force a stalemate. But I broke free of their control, and set out to destroy those who had threatened my creators." The words entered Dylan mind without bothering to go through his ears. Trance looked up, "You murdered Billions! You destroyed entire galaxies!" The Spirit nodded, "Yes, and it was no more than your people did, under your command as war-leader: You ordered entire systems vaporised in order to try and stop me, but you never could. My harbingers, the Magog, overwhelmed you allies, and I stood on the brink of victory."  
  
It turned back to face Dylan, "Then they created you, the 'Spirit of Light', to try and stop me. But I managed to get there first, and destroyed their Homeworld. I thought that I had won, but then my spies told me that the 'Spirit of Light' had been sent to a far-off Galaxy in a different galactic cluster. I have spend thousands of you years hunting you down, and now I will kill you once and for all."  
  
Ribbons of fire shot from the Spirit of the Abyss' hands and slammed into Dylan.  
  
TBC 


	29. Dead man's switch

Ok, sorry about the delay, but I know where this story is (about 3/4th over) and I know how I want it to end, it's just getting there that's the hard part.  
  
Echoes of future past, part 29  
  
Rommie signalled to Tyr and Ryan to hold back, and then slowly edged forwards towards the opening at the end of the tunnel: the titanic mountain of metal that was the Point Singularity Projector filed the carver, disappearing off into the ceiling, and beyond. Far below she could see Magog moving around, preparing the weapon for the coming battle. She backed up, and signalled for Ryan to put the generator down. Ryan set the generator down, and started to set up the overload-loop that would causes it to explode, hopefully taking the PSD with it. He attached a small hand held computer two it, "How long should I set the timer for?" Rommie thought for a moment, "Well, it took us two hours to get here, plus the time we need to get to slipstream, facture in some extra time for unforeseen circumstances, say three hours." Tyr nodded, "I agree: any longer would risk the Magog finding it and disarming it." Ryan smiled, "That's not a problem: I rigged it so that if anyone try's to disarm it after I've entered the final detonator code, it'll go off."  
  
Tyr looked at the metal cylinder, "How big a bang we talking about with this thing?" Ryan smiled, "Let's just say that it's similar to a Nova Bomb, but without the radiation. The only problem is it's a lot unstable: if the regulator field is not properly aligned, you can kiss good by to your solar system." Tyr looked at his son, "And you're sure you put it together properly?" Ryan smiled again, "We'll find out in a sec." He pressed a button on the computer pad, starting the generator.  
  
It hummed for a second, than stopped.  
  
Ryan glanced at the computer display, "We have a slight problem." Tyr looked at him, "What do you mean 'We have a slight problem'?" Ryan handed over the computer, "The timing mechanism's fired: it most have taken a hit in that last gunfight, and overloaded." Rommie looked it over, "Is there anything we can do to fix it?" Ryan shook his head, "Not with what we have on us. Back on the Andromeda, maybe, but here, no." He typed a command into the computer, and the generator started humming again, "On the other hand, the manual detonator still woks." He turned to look at the other two, "I'll stay and set it off manually."  
  
Rommie looked at him, "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, what if the Magog find you before the three hours are up?" Ryan shook his head, "I'll set a dead-mans switch so that if anything happens to me, it'll blow right away." Tyr nodded, "As much as I hate to say this, it seems to be the only way we can do this." Rommie was shocked by Tyr's apparent indifference, but then she saw the look in his eyes, and nodded her silent consent. Ryan rigged a med-sensor from his first aide kit so that it sent a signal to the detonator, then took up a position where he would be able to fire in ether direction, "I'll try and hold on for three hours, but if it get's bad, I'll blow it." Rommie nodded, and with an after thought, handed him a spear forcelance, "Good luck." Ryan smiled, "You just go help Dylan and Trance, then get as far away from here as you can."  
  
TBC 


	30. Play it to the bone

David Bowie has a lot to do with this chapter: I was listening to some of his song while I wrote it.  
  
Echoes of future past, part 30  
  
Dylan automatically brought his hands up to cover his face, and turned slightly in an attempt to lessen the impact of the fire. He closed his eyes and waited for the end.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
Dylan opened his eyes again, and saw a sheet of flame before him, held back by some invisible force. He turned to see Trance's jaw drop, her eyes wide with shock. The Spirit of the Abyss screamed with pure, mind searing rage, and intensified its attack. Dylan felt his feet slip as he was pushed back towards the edge of the rock column. He spread his feet further apart, and leaning forwards. He found that, if he concentrated hard enough, he could make headway against the fire.  
  
For the first time ever, The Spirit of the Abyss new fear: ever had anything ever stood before it like the human was, never had any being ever had the power to counteract it's might. It dimmed slightly as it put more and more of its strength into attacking Dylan, its swirling colours fading to gray.  
  
Trance stood in awe of the power emanating from Dylan: in all the had spent with him, in all the different time lines she had visited, this was without a doubt the most powerful she had ever seen him. True, the other Dylan's had been strong, but in the end they had never been up to the task. She could see The Spirit of the Abyss grow weaker as Dylan moved closer, its powers draining as it draining as his grew.  
  
Dylan found himself within arms reach of the Spirit of the Abyss, and summoning all his strength and anger; he reached back with his fist, and punched out. He half expected his fist to go straight through the being before him, but instead it connected, and the transfer of energy was enough to nock the Abyss off of its feet.  
  
The Spirit of the Abyss was so shocked by the blow that it almost lost control of it's physical form: how could this, this, the MORTAL ever hurt a being as powerful as it was? The cavern echoed with a deferring roar of anger as the Spirit of the Abyss probed Dylan's mind, trying to find something to use against him, something to from him off balance. It found an image, and morphed its physical form to match.  
  
Dylan looked down and saw the Spirit of the Abyss change to look like Gaheris Rhade. He was going to say something when the prone figure kicked out, catching his squarely between the legs, doubling him other has he fought the darkness that threatened to engulf him. He gasped for air as he staggered dangerously close to the edge, almost falling to the cavern floor, hundreds of meters below.  
  
Trance leapt at the Rhade, trying to get a kick in that would send him toppling over the edge, but he simply held out his arm and caught her foot. With a sadistic smile, he twisted it sharply. Trance hared the crack a second before her body informed her that her ankle was broken in it's own special way: she collapsed onto the ground, grabbing her foot protectively as she reminded herself that the Spirit of the Abyss was one of the few thing in the universe that could hurt her in any real scenes.  
  
Rhade looked down at Trance, laughing, and so didn't see Dylan regain his balance. He turned round just in time to see Dylan's fist as it made contact with the side of his head.  
  
Blood and teeth sprayed out as Dylan's roundhouse punch shattered Rhade's jaw. He fell to the flaw, completely in shock. Dylan rested his hands on his knees, waiting for the room to stop spinning, "Gaheris always did have a glass jaw: guess that was just another thing you 'borrowed' from my memory." He kicked out viscously, and was rewarded with the wet-crack that signified cracked or broken ribs. Dylan smiled, kicking out again, "You really should be more careful: making your self corporeal like this is full of dangers, like this!" He kicked out, catching Rhade's between the legs, knocking him back half a meter.  
  
Trance looked up, "It's weekend, you can kill it if you act before it- regains to much of its power." Dylan nodded, and lifted Rhade up, and slowly staggered to the edge, "I'll see you in hell!" he half-throw/half- dropped Rhade, and watched as he fell the hundreds of meters to the cavern floor below.  
  
Dylan made his way over t Trance and helped her stand, putting his arm around her to take most of her weight, "You going to be ok?" Trance nodded through the pain, "I will be: my people heal fast." Dylan nodded, "We need to have a long talk after this is thought." He added as they started to make their way back to the tunnel entrance, hopping from stone to stone, Trance winching every time she landed on her bad ankle.  
  
TBC 


	31. Vengeance Rising

@ HFL: Yes, I know your name is Hope for Love, but I like to call you Hope for Fluff due to your addiction to fluffy love story's. And I will point out that you complain about other people's story's, when it's been almost a year since you wrote one yourself.

Echoes of future past, part 31

Tyr had a hard time keeping up with Rommie: Nietzschean or not, it was difficult to keep up with an Android going flat-out. If not for the winding nature of the passages, she would have left his behind long ago. Rommie reached the junction where they had spilt up, and used her built in AG harness to allow her to run along the wall so she could round the corner without braking stride. Tyr managed to half-emulate the move by kicking off the wall with his right leg, and using the momentum it gave him to send him off along the other tunnel.

*********************

Dylan was still helping Trance to hobble along the corridor, although her ankle was healing, and she was able to put some weight on it without keeling over in pain. He turned to look at her, "That stuff about you being a General?" Trance nodded, "It's true: I was, still am technically, the senior military leader of my people. But weaver it's still true is uncertain." Dylan looked at her, "How so?"

Trance took a deep breath, "I was ordered to join the Maru's crew so that I'd take part in the recovery of the Andromeda, and by default, you. I was then supposed to take over the ship, and deliver you to my people at a pre-arranged rendezvous point. Well, obviously I didn't: I decided that things would work out better if I let them take their natural course, with a slight nudge here and there. I believe that I did the right thing, but in doing so I may have angered my people greatly."

Dylan looked at her, "What could they do to you?" Trance looked grim, "Anything."

*******************

Rommie continued along at brake-neck speed, ignoring the warnings her body was sending her mind as she bounced off the walls, scrapping her arms on the rough rock walls. She didn't care, se just wanted to find Dylan and make sure he was ok. Her one concertino to logic was to keep her speed down low enough for Tyr to keep up. Her sensors picked up to humanoids moving towards her from, and she tensed herself, ready for them to be Magog. She then picked up a nano-bot signature, and increased her speed to maximum.

Dylan barely had time to register the sound of approaching feet when he found himself nearly knocked onto his back as Rommie leapt into his arms. He steadied himself and wrapped his free arm around her, "Wow, ok, it's good to see you to." Rommie relaxed a little, and moved back so she could look him in the eyes, "I was worried about you!" Dylan smiled and kissed her, "I was worried about you, but everything's ok now."

Tyr rounded the corner, and Dylan was surprised t find that he was alone, "What happened to Ryan?" Rommie's face fell slightly, "The timer got damaged during a fire-fight with some Magog: he stared behind to set it off manually." Dylan looked at Tyr, who nodded and turned back to cover the tunnel. Dylan swallowed, "We better get back to the Maru. Rommie, give me a hand with Trance, Tyr, take point."

*******************

Back in the Abyss' chamber, a figure moved across the floor until it reached a body lying on the ground where it had landed, "So this is the mighty and terrifying Spirit of the Abyss? And to think we feared you for so long, yet you where taken down by a mere human, one of the least impressive spices we have ever come across." The Spirit looked up, "You came here to gloat?" The figure shook it's head, "No, I've come to offer you a deal: I can't save your life, even if, for some bizarre reason, I wanted to, but I can give you the chance to gain revenge on thoughts who defeated you. There is one of them, who if killed, will shatter them. She is quit formidable, but I can get you into a position where you will have a single chance, one shot, in which to gain final vengeance. What do you say?"

The Spirits eyes glowed brightly as it slowly managed to draw itself up onto its feet, "Tell me what to do."

To Be Continued


	32. Zero Hour

Ok, I'm in a Steve Spielberg (the spell-check recognises that?) sort of mood today…

Echoes of future past, part 32

Ryan could here the Magog coming towards him, their voices echoing along the passageways. He took up position behind an outcropping of rock, and drew both of his Gauss pistols. As an after thought, he pulled a radio from his belt, "I don't know if any of you can here me, but the Magog are heading my way, and I won't be able to give you the full three hours: I'll hold them as long as I can, you just make sure you get back to the Maru, fast." Not waiting for a reply, he turned the radio off, and as the first of the Magog rounded the corner, he stated firing.

*******************

The other heard Ryan's warning, and sped up their retreat to the waiting ship.

Tyr opened the airlock and checked the inside for intruders while Dylan helped Trance to one of the bunks, Rommie keeping a lookout. Dylan made his way back to the airlock, "Ok, look's like we're good to go here. Any sign of pursuit?" Rommie turned to face him, "I'm not picking up anyth…" The words died on her lips as she fell forwards.

Dylan lunged forwards, and managed to grab her before she hit the deck. He looked up to see the grinning Spirit of the Abyss, still morphed to look like Gaheris Rhade, slowly sink to the floor, the smoking Gauss Gun falling from it's hand. Trance had heard the gunshot, and hobbled to the door. She looked at Rommie, then across to the still form of the Spirit of the Abyss, "But it should be dead, you killed it?" Dylan didn't look up as he dragged Rommie in and closed the outer lock, "Tyr, you better get us out of here!"

Tyr didn't need telling twice: the finely tuned engines started at once, and the Maru started gaining altitude as Dylan and Trance carried Rommie into the crew quarters and gently placed her on one of the bunks. Her body was convulsing as Trance ran a scanner over her, "Oh no! Dylan, her power-cell's taken a hit, she's lousing power, fast: if we don't get her back to the Andromeda soon, she'll die!"

Rommie looked up, her eyes wide with fear, "Dylan, I'm scared!" Dylan held her tight, "It's ok: I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Rommie's body stopped moving as her peripheral system shut down, saving as much power as it could for her core-functions and memory bank: if that lost power before she had a chance to re-establish a link with the main AI on the Andromeda, her personality, the very essence of who she was, would be lost forever. Her body would be repairable, and Andromeda could use it, but Rommie would be dead.

Tyr carefully navigated the caesium that lead back to the surface, one eyes always on the monitor that would show any increases in Free Vacuum Energy generation, the first, and only, warning that the bomb had detonated and the shock-wave was not far behind.

*******************

Ryan saw the red warning light on his Gauss Pistols light up, indicating that he was almost out of power. He fired the weapons a few more times, taking down the next two Magog, then dropped them to the floor and drew the forcelance Dylan had given him. He allowed himself a quick look at his watch: he had bought the others just over two and a half hours, and every second more he could hold off activating the bomb, the better their chances of escape.

The Magog re-doubled their attack, streaming forward in a seemingly never-ending tide that Ryan was hard-pressed to keep up. He kept shooting, his movements fluid and graceful from a lifetime of fighting. He held his forcelance with both hands, sighting along the barrel, making sure every shot counted. The slick plastic grew hot as he continued to fire, headless of the cost.

The final bleep told him he was out of ammo, and more importantly, time.

The Magog sensed that Ryan was defenceless, and charged. Ryan just smiled, raising his arm so the trigger was at eye height, "**SMILE YOU SON OF A BITCH!**" With that, he pressed the detonator.

To Be Continued


	33. Death and Destruction

I don't want to write this chapter, but I have to: in order for the story to make any sense at the end, certain events have to happen, regardless of how we feel.

Echoes of future past, part 33

In the end, the Free Vacuum Energy Generator/Bomb was a bit of a dud.

For reasons no one would ever understand, it only released 50% of its maximum potential energy release. That said, considering the maximum amount of energy it as capable of, 50% was still on a par with a Nietzschean Maximum-charge, or some similar device when it came to sheer destructive power.

In a micro-second, everything within 1000-meters of the bomb was reduced to component atoms as a churning ball of plasma expanded, fuelled by the release of energy generated when the bomb tore a hole in the very fabric of the universe, connecting the parallel realities of normal space and slipstream.

The plasma sphere kept expanding, hungry for more fuel.

**************************

Tyr saw the red warning light start to flash, and checked the down-view scanner: the glowing ball of plasma was making its way up chasm after the Maru. Reacting instinctively, he pulled back on the controls, raising the ship's nose, and pointing its main drive towards the maelstrom of raw energy. He pulled the throttle all the way back, sending the cargo ship upwards like a firework.

Despite Tyr's efforts, the glowing wall of energy started to gain on the Maru as the Nietzschean jinxed left and right, dodging outcroppings of rock and falling derbies shaken loss by the planet-wide earthquake the bomb had coursed. The shaking was so violent that the AG field was un-able to keep us, and the others found themselves thrown about like rag-dolls as Tyr tried to get them to safety.

Dylan wedged himself between a bunk and two walls, holding a helpless and dying Rommie tight as Trance managed to strap herself down into one of the galley seats. Rommie was truly scared: for the first time in her life, she was totally and completely helpless. True, she felt safer being in Dylan's arm, but to a warship, that is a poor substitute for a body that could lift a metric tonne.

Trance closed her eyes tightly and tried to concentrate on the perfect possible future she had always worked for: despite all that had happened, and all that could happen, there was a good chance that this time she could pull them all through. One thing bugged her though: how had the Spirit of the Abyss managed to get to the landing site, and where had it gotten a Gauss Gun capable of hurting Rommie from?

*************************

Viewed from the outside, the world that contained the Point Singularity Projector seemed to glow slightly: continent sized cracks appeared in its surface, the blinding glow of the plasma sphere putting the captive miniature sun in the World Ship's center to shame. The Point Singularity Projector seemed to melt slightly from the inside, then collapsed under it's own wait as the AG fields that kept it in place where destroyed, vaporised by the plasma.

A closer observer would have see the cargo ship Eureka Maru blast clear of a collapsing cavern like a demon emerging from the fires of hell. The deep cavern it had emerged from started to collapse in on its self, but the outer reaches of the plasma sphere reached it first, vaporising the last of the rock, turning the planet into a short-lived star. Travelling at a speed that was approaching 50% of the speed of light, the Maru escaped the hellish temperatures of the plasma, but not un-touched.

Just as Tyr was taking the ship into Slipstream, a tendril of energy whipped out from the plasma sphere and struck the rear of the ship, sending it tumbling through slipstream, lost and beyond control.

The Plasma sphere, starved of fuel, began to dissipate.

*************************

Dylan came too an hour later, the side of his head bleeding where it had been smashed against the wall with enough force to knock him out. Trance sat slumped in her chair, seemingly out-cold. He could see Tyr's arm hang limply down the side of the pilots seat, and the stars outside the view port spun-round slowly. Dylan looked down at the figure lying limply in his arms, "Rommie?"

The androids eyes flickered slightly, her voice low, "Did we do it, did we destroy the Point Singularity Projector? Did we win?" Dylan smiled slightly, brushing a few stray hairs way from her face, "Yes my love, we did it, we won." Rommie's smiled weakly, "Good. Dylan, I feel so cold." Dylan wrapped his arms around her even tighter, "Stay with me: I need you. I love you!" Rommie smiled, "I love you t…"

Her eyes closed.

To Be Continued.


	34. The Cost of Defiance

Just a short visit to the Maru this time, and then back to the Andromeda. Sorry.

Echoes of future past, part 34

Trance felt like she was immersed in water, trying desperately to reach surface.

Her vision slowly cleared, although the pounding headache remained. She looked to her right, and saw Tyr slumped over the controls, still out cold. She looked to the left and her eyes went wide: Dylan was sat on the end of the bunk that they had secured Rommie to, holding her head in his lap, crying silently. She felt her own eyes moisten as tiers welled up, and she racked her brain, trying to work out what had gone wrong.

A voice echoed through her mind: **_BECAUSE YOU DARED TO DEIFY US!_**

***********************************

Beka looked about Command, wishing that Dylan hadn't left her in charge: she was a good officer, an even better pilot, but she new next to nothing about combat. She bit her lip nervously, one hand moving down the rest on her slightly swollen belly. The rest of the new crew looked at her expectedly: apart from Harper and Andromeda herself, she was the last of what they called 'the old guard', the small group who had thought tooth and nail to get the Commonwealth back together.

Still nervous, Beka walked from command, and down the corridor to the small captains office, "Andromeda." The ship's holographic form blinked into existence before her, "I'm sure their fine, Beka, don't worry." Baker waved the words away, "I know their be fine: It'll take a lot more than the Magog to kill Tyr or Dylan, Rommie can look out foe herself, and I've yet to find something that'll kill Trance. Ryan is a different matter: he's looking for a way to die, but I'm finally beginning to understand why." She sat down on the sofa that sat against one wall, "What I can't understand is why the Admiral gave ME command of a squadron of ships!" She looked up, catching Andromeda's eyes with her own, "I'm not a combat veteran!"

Andromeda smiled, "Beka, calm down: the Admiral gave you command of the squadron because Dylan recommended you for the job: you may not be a combat veteran, but you have gone up against the World Ship before, and, like Dylan has said on more than one occasion, you are one hell of a commanding officer. The crew trust you, believe in you, and rightfully so." She knelt down so she was just in front of Beka's face, "An I trust you, I believe in you: you are without a doubt one of the best officers I have ever served with."

Beka smiled slightly, "There are times I wish I could hug you, and then there are times I wish I could throttle you!" Andromeda laughed, "And witch one of those is it this time?" Beka couldn't help but laugh back, "This is defiantly a hug moment: I'll have to remember to give Rommie one when she get's back."

Andromeda nodded, "That will suffice, although I am beging to wonder how much longer she will remain as my Avatar now she is with Dylan." Beka tilted her to the side, "That really worries you, doesn't it?" Andromeda nodded, "Yes: at first we where the same person, and she was just a part of me, but over time, she became something different, her own person. It first became obvious when she became involved with Gabriel: I told her not to get to close to him, but she did so anyway, and I had to come to terms with that fact that she was no longer a true part of me." 

Andromeda looked up, "The concept of the Android-Avatar, as apposed to the holographic type like myself, was still in the testing faze when I was frozen in the Hephaistos singularity: I was slated to receive mine when we returned to the Shining Path to Truth and Knowledge Institute for an overhaul. Some ship's, Pax, Achilles, Ryan, Gabriel, rotated back and had theirs installed, and I was really looking forward to it. Then came The Fall, and I resigned myself to the fact that I would never be able to truly experience the physical world like you organics do." She looked Beka in the eye, "You have no idea what it's like, seeing the universe, and all the married of tactile experiences you organics take for granted, and never knowing what it's truly like."

Beka was slightly taken aback, "And if Rommie leaves you, you'll lose that link again." Andromeda nodded, her eyes downcast, "I could make her stay, I could over-ride her controls and force her to stay, and without wiping my core personality, there would do nothing any of you could do to stop me. But I could never do that to her." Andromeda looked up, and Beka swear that she could see the hint of a tier in the corner of the holograms eyes, "The other Glorious Heritage class ships, my brothers and sister, my family, are all dead, and Rommie is all I have left. I know I have my crew, and the other AI's in the fleet, but none of them where truly family." Beka nodded, "I think I understand. Don't worry: you'll never be alone, I promise."

TBC

Angst-ridden and unusual, maybe, but I can't help but think we all forget Andromeda when we write story's that involve Rommie and Dylan getting together.


	35. Una Salus Victus Nullam Sperare Salutem

Echoes of future past, part 35

Beka strode back into command, "All stations report in." The crew reacted immediately as she took hold of the slipstream controls.

"Sensors on line and ready."

"Weapons armed, point-defence systems on-line."

"Communication grid shows all channels clear, all ship responding ready for fleet-formation manoeuvres."

"Engineering is good-to-go boss." Harper's voice came over the com-system.

"All fighters prepped and ready for take-off."

"All Lancers armed and ready to repel borders."

"Environmental controls green."

Andromeda's holographic form appeared next to the pilot's station, "A.I. systems working with operational parameters." She smiled, "Relax Bake: you'll do fine."

Beka nodded, "Signal the Admiral that Delta squadron is ready, willing and able." Andromeda nodded, "Confirmed. Fleet will enter slipstream in T-minus 45-seconds." Beka flipped the switches that regulated the slipdrive, bringing it to full power, "All hands to Battle Stations." The lights in command turned blue as ship went to the highest state of alert.

Andromeda fixed her eyes on the main view screen, "Slipstream in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, engines taking hold, 3, 2, 1, Transiting!" Beka pushed forward on the controls, sending the ships into Slipstream. The controls felt sluggish as Beka navigated her way along the cords: the data-link to the other ships in the squadron forced her to plan her moves with more care than normal, but her natural talent and affinity for the cords more than compensated.

With a series of blinding flashes, the combined war-fleet's or the known worlds exited slipstream before the damaged World Ship. Magog Swarmships immediately attacked, forcing the armada to scatter, making tem easier pray for the deadly point-singularity weapons some of the smaller ships carried.

Beka gritted her teeth as destroyer under her command exploded in a ball of flame as it's slipstream-core was hit and lost containment, it's exotic-matter fuel vaporising half of the ship instantly. Beka looked at the tactical display, "All ship's form up: we have to punch through the Magog so we can get a shot in at that star. Andromeda, confirm Nova Weapon deployment, authorization Acting Captain Rebecca Anasazi, code Bravo-Ten-Bravo-Alpha!"

Andromeda nodded, "Nova Weapon deployment authorization confirmed. Loading tubes 1 and 2: 30-seconds until optimum firing range." Beka swung the ship around the bulk of a damaged Than Destroyer, and narrowly missed a Pyrian Battle Cruiser that was moving to assist the stricken craft. Andromeda looked up, "That was close!" Beka smiled, "What's the old saying: a miss is as good as a mile?" Andromeda raised an eyebrow, "Beka, I do believe you are starting to enjoy this?"

Beka laughed, "I'm married to a Nietzschean and my best friend is a Warship: how do you expect me to react?" Andromeda was about to respond when a fireball lit-up the main view screen. The Hologram blinked, "Charlemagne Bolivar, you maniac! He just detonated a Maximum-charge right in front of us!" Beka looked at the readout's, "Yes, but it was to far away to damages us, but it took out the Swarmship's between us and the World Ship! Have you gotten a lock on the Maru's ion-trail yet?" Andromeda nodded, "Confirmed: it's week, but we should be able to track them through slipstream." Beka smiled, "Prepare to fire Nova Weapons 1 and 2, on my mark. Mark!"

The two missiles shot forth from the missile-bank in the bottom of the Heavy-Cruiser, and shanked their way to the target.

Beka swung the ship around, "Signal all ship's to run like hell for Slipstream: this one's going to be big!" No sooner where the words out of her mouth then the 2 Nova Bombs Harper had spent three years building detonated, sending the artificial star at the hart of the Magog World Ship supernova.

Without the Spirit of the Abyss to contain and channel the energy, the shock wave radiated out in every direction, shattering the remaining planets and ending the threat of a unified Magog attack once and for all. The shock wave kept going, and threatened to envelop the fleeing ships, but they managed to make it to slipstream and safety.

Freed of the need to guide a squadron of ships, Beka was able to follow the faint trail left by the Maru's engines, and the Andromeda exited slipstream less than 2 light minuets from the damaged cargo ship. Beka's eyes went wide, "Life signs?" Andromeda looked up, "I'm only picking up to, and with my sensors still partially blinded from that Maximum-charge, I can't tell who it is, but I am not receiving a single from my Avatar." Beka nodded, "Launch grapples and bring them in: have Harper and a medical team meet me in docking-bay two." Andromeda nodded and blinked out as Beka ran from command.

TBC

In case you are wondering, the title of this chapter, "_Una Salus Victus Nullam Sperare Salutem_", is Latin for "The only hope of the doomed is not to hope for safety". It's amazing what you can learn from books nowadays.


	36. One last roll of the dice

Echoes of future past, part 36

Beka dashed along the corridors, yelling for crewmembers to get out of the way as she ploughed through groups of them in her haste to reach the landing bay. She skidded, almost slipping, as she went to grab a ladder that offered her a short cut down several decks. Grabbing the ladder with both hands, and slid down it, using her in-steppes to arrest her descent to a less than suicidal velocity. Andromeda adjusted the gravity field at the bottom of the ladder to soften the landing even more.

Harper was likewise in the middle of a headlong dash, having stopped off in one of the machine shops on his way from engineering. His toolbox was sitting on top of one of the anti-grave gurneys from the medical bay. He reached the last downhill stretch before the airlock, and jumped up onto the stretcher, costing down the corridor, almost knocking Beka over as she rounded the corner from the other direction.

Andromeda's holographic form blinked in to existence between the two of them, an anxious look on her face, "The bay is almost re-pressurised, but my sensors still can't penetrate the Maru's hull: it's coated in some form of reflective metallic dust." The light above the airlock changed from red to green, and with a hiss, the hatch opened. Beka was the first to push her way through as the door opened, followed closely by Harper. Andromeda simply walked through the thick metal like it wasn't there.

The hatch on the side of the Maru opened, Trance and Tyr walking out, supporting an unconscious Dylan between the two of them. Beka looked at them, "What happened?" Trance looked up, her voice low, "We had to sedate him: he, he wouldn't leave Rommie. She's... She was shot, there was nothing we could do." Harper lifted his toolbox from the gurney so Tyr could lay Dylan down, "There has to be something I can do!" The Nietzschean gently lay his hand on the engineers shoulder, "Her power cell was hit, she lost power to her memory bank: she's gone."

Andromeda blinked, and Beka thought she was going to say something, but instead the hologram blinked out. Harper went to call out for her, but Beka stopped him, "Don't: she needs some time to herself." She turned to Trance and Tyr, "What happened to Ryan?" Tyr's face fell, "The bomb was damaged in a fire-fight, the timer was destroyed: he stayed to set it of manually." Beka started to cry, and Tyr put his arms around her, guiding her from the landing bay. Harper pushed the AG gurney out to where a group of med-tech's where waiting.

Trance looked around: she had one last chance to work things out, one chance to created the 'perfect possible future' her younger self had always dreamed of creating. She closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to picture herself in the storage bay. She opened her eyes again, to find herself standing in the middle of a pile of boxes. She started looking around for one box in particular.

Andromeda's holographic form blinked into existence, "Trance! How did you? Tesseracts?" Trance span round in surprise, "Andromeda! Listen to me: I may be able to bring Rommie back, but you will have to do exactly what I say, no matter what anyone else says, even Dylan. Can you do that?" Andromeda nodded, "Anything, without question: I trust you." Trance lifted a box from the floor, "I need you to have one of your bots take a gurney to the Maru, then seal the launch bay and clear me to leave. I have to get something from my quarters." Andromeda nodded "Is that what I think it is?" Trance looked down at the case in her arms, "Yes, it is. After I'm gone, you can tell the others, but not before." Trance closed her eyes again and she disappeared from the cargo bay.

*******************

Beka stood in medical while the doctors gave Dylan and Tyr a thorough examination. The sedative Trance had given Dylan had worn off, and the High Guard Captain now sat comatose on a bed as the doctors ran their scanners over him. It broke Beka's heart to see him like this: the once proud officer who had helped restore the commonwealth reduced to an emotional wreck. She walked out into the corridor and stopped by one of the many accesses terminal spaced along the walls, "Andromeda."

The main AI's image appeared on the screen, her normal smile was nowhere to be seen, "Beka. How is Dylan?" Beka shook her head, "Not good: the doctors say he's in deep shock, and they don't know when he'll come round, if ever. How are the repairs coming?" Andromeda's face became it's normal professional self, "Most of the major damages has been repaired, but there are still power fluctuations where a PSB graved my outer hull on the port side: several relays have been blown out." Beka nodded, "Get Harper on it: we need to rejoin the rest of the fleet as soon as we can."

****************

Trance reappeared in the docking bay, dressed in a dark gray uniform, several rows of ribbons decorated its left chest, a starburst embalm on the right shoulder glittered in the bright halogen lights. She gave the bay one last look, then walked up into the Maru, placing the box taken from the storage bay onto the gurney that Andromeda had sent down. She pushed it into the galley, then slowly walked into the crew quarters: Rommie's lifeless body lay on the bunk where it had been left as they had focused on getting Dylan and Tyr to medical. She gently ran a hand down her friends face, "You'll never now how much this will cost me, but it's worth it: without you, things would not be the same."

Turning, Trance headed to the cockpit and strapped herself into the pilots seat. She gripped the controls tightly and concentrated: she reach out with her mind and felt the damaged down to the Maru's engines and Slip-drive, and used her powers to repair them. The ship came alive with a hum as the drive-system powered up. Trance lifted the radio headset and out it on, "Andromeda, time to open the doors." The AI's soft voice came over the link, "Cycling launch bay doors. Doors opening. Good luck." The wall before Trance split along the middle, and the two halves started recessing into the floor and ceiling. Trance Powered up the Maru's thrusters, and the batters cargo ship may its way into the darkness of space.

Trance pulled the ship round, and opened a slipstream.

TBC


	37. Homecomming

Echoes of future past, part 37

Harper jogged into medical and stopped next to Beka, trying to get his breath back, "Hay, boss: I just went to get tools I'd left on the Maru, and it's gone. Andromeda won't tell me where or who took it." Beka's face fell, and she ran outside to the nearest com-unit, "Andromeda!" The AI's face appeared on-screen, "Commander." Beka's face was red with rage, "Where's my ship?" Andromeda's face remained neutral, "I do not know." Beka leaned in closer to the screen, "I am still acting captain of this vessel, and you will answer me: who has taken my ship, and where are they going?"

Andromeda blinked, "Trance Gemini as your ship, but she did not say where she was going." Beka was getting angrier and angrier, "Well what did she say?" Andromeda met her gaze, "She said, and I quote, 'I may be able to bring Rommie back, but you will have to do exactly what I say, no matter what anyone else says, even Dylan.' She then took the part of the Engine of Creation that you recovered on Shintaida and left."

Harper blinked, "I thought that it took three of you to lift that thing!" Beka nodded, "It did, but this is Trance we are talking about: you never know what she's capable of. How soon until our slipstream drive is fully repaired?" Harper scratched his forehead, "About 12 hours, give or take 2. That PSB may not have hit, but it gravitational pull ripped one of our slipstream regulators out of alignment: It's only by a combination of luck and your skill that we made it this far without it overheating or exploding." Beka nodded, "Get to it: I don't like being dead in the water."

******************

Trance felt her way through slipstream, trying to find the hidden rout that would take her to the rendezvous point. Beka had complained that the rout to Tarazed was a rabbit hole, but it was nothing compared to this. Beka liked to think that she was the best slip-pilot in the known worlds, but compared to Trance's people, she was strictly amateur: Humans lacked the senses required to pilot slipstream flawlessly, but even Trance had to admit, Beka was still one of the best around.

The Maru exited slipstream with a shudder, and Trance was greeted by a sight she had hoped never to see again: the huge WarShip floated in space, blotting out the stars for miles in any direction. A swarm of smaller support ship's buzzed around it, like minnow around a whale. The Maru's control panel lit up as hundreds of targeting systems locked on, and voices filled the radio, demanding identification.

Trance took a deep breath, "This is War-Leader Del-Rak of the House of Chellran: prepare a landing bay, and inform the council that I demand an ordinance under the rules of martial law." The radio went silent, and an iris opened in the side of the ship, indicating the landing bay. Trance smiled slightly as she guided the Maru into the docking port: the battered old cargo ship was probably lest advanced, and newest, ship in the fleet.

She gently landed the Maru, and then walked back to the crew quarters. She lifted Rommie off of the bunk and gently laid her on the grungy, then placed the box holding the last missing part of the Engine of Creation at her head. Trance took a moment to straighten her uniform before pushing the AG stretcher to the airlock. It opened with a hiss, revelling an honour-guard dressed in uniform the same colure as her own lined up outside. The familiar blue form of Flux stepped forward, "The council have rejected your summons, and further more, have relieved you of you rank and position as military leader of our people. I am sorry, old friend, but I have orders to place you under arrest."

Trance stalked forward, "You will go, personally, to every member of the council, and tell them that if they are not in the council chamber within the next ten minuets, I will take this fleet apart molecule by molecule until I find them. Do not believe for an instance that I was fooled by that trick you pulled on the World Ship: I know that the council ordered you to assist the Spirit of the Abyss in injuring Rommie, and that you where responsible for our not returning to the Andromeda in time to save her. Thing have change 'old friend', I have changed, and neither you, these guards, or the dammed council, have the power to stop me now!"

To Be Continued


	38. Sins of the Farther

@ Gordon AI: Thanks for the Beta offer. I may take you up on it once (or maybe that should be 'when') I've finished.

@ Troll99: Hope you had a nice holiday. Now get to work on _Android or Human_!!!

Echoes of future past, part 38

Flux took an involuntary step back, "You may have changed somewhat, but you still have to adhered to the rules of the council." Trance smiled, moving the gurney so that it was behind her, "I don't work for the council anymore: those self-serving bigots lost my respect a long time ago." Several of the guards drew long knives, and looked at her menacingly. Trance smiled, then adjusted her stance so that she faced them side on. She held out one hand, palm up, and with the ends of her fingers, gave them a 'come hither' gesture.

The first guard ran at her, his knife held out straight to run her through. Trance leapt into the air, somersaulting backwards, and raised her right foot sharply, catching him under the jaw. The force of the blow lifted the guard off of his feet and sent him crashing to the deck, out-cold. A second guard rushed Trance from the side as she landed, but she blocked his knife-arm with her left hand, and then slammed the flattened palm of her right into his chest at high speed, driving the air from his lungs and sending him flying back into anther two guards, sending the three of the sprawling to the ground.

Warned by some sixth sense, Trance dropped into a low splits, dodging below a swung knife just in time to avoid lousing her head. She punched out with her left fist, catching the guard square in the groin with enough force to break his pelvis. She grabbed his dropped knife and flung it across the room, pinning Flux's hand to the wall as he went for the alarm switch, "Don't touch that dial!"

Trance looked at the last of the guard still standing. His uniform was different, denoting a higher rank. Golden epaulets on his shoulders showed he was an expert in psychic as well as physical attacks. Trance smiled: at last, a true challenge. They slowly begin the circle, sizing each other up, probing for weaknesses with their mental powers. Trance was careful, only showing a fraction of her true strength, hiding her newly developed skills, lulling her opponent into a false sense of security.

Suddenly, and without warning, they charged at one another, their hands glowing with built up physic energy. At the last possible moment, Trance leapt into the air, diving over the guard's head, sending him headlong into the bulkhead. The reverberating sound of the impact echoed around docking bay, drowning out the moaning of the few guards that where still conscious. Traces chuckled, "It's all about strength and speed with some people, never skill or tactics."

"You always where my best student Del-Rak: it sadden me greatly when you turned your back on us." The voice from the doorway made Trance spin round to face the newcomer. He stood as tall as Dylan, but his skin was a shade of purple that was slightly lighter then Trance's had once been. His tail flickered backwards and forwards slowly below his long robe, a subconscious display of the anger that he managed to keep from his face. Trance drew herself to her full height, and found herself straitening her uniform, "Farther. It has been a while: not long enough, but a while none the less." Flux looked at the deck, "Lord Sen-Tel, it is not safe for you to be here: your daughter is more powerful then she was when she left."

Sen-Tel smiled, "She may be powerful, but she is still my daughter: I now her weaknesses." He raised his hand, figures stretched out, and Trance was lifted from the deck, "You where my heir apparent, you would have served on the council after I retired, but instead you chose to ally yourself with the primitive life-forms of this galaxy. I offered you the chance to rule three galaxies, and you turned it down to be a glorified gardener. You disappoint me Del-Rak, and now you will die."

Trance laughed as her farther tried to crush her mind, "You really think I would come back here and challenge you so directly if there was even a chance that you could defeat me? Yes farther, I was your best student, and I learnt a lot: I learnt how to be cruel, how to bend the wills of others to my own ends, how to show no pity as I killed the weak and innocent with a wave of my hand, and I learnt well." She slowly descended to the deck, her eye glowing with the brightness of pulsars, "But then I had what the humans call 'a moment of clarity', an epiphany of sorts, and I learnt the truth: despite how much we like to pretend, we are not masters of the universe, we are not gods. You ordered our people to seek out the Engine of Creation so you could ascend, but you never once thought that maybe the universe had other planes for itself, and didn't like your medalling."

Sen-Tel shielded his eyes, "But why did you return?" Trance smiled, "I came for the four pieces of the Engine of Creation that are in your position: I had hopped that we could do his peacefully, but you just had to try and kill me, didn't you." Trance raised her hand, and Sen-Tel found the deck moving from beneath his feet, "I offered you all of creation! How could you turn me down?" Trances smile broadened to a grin, "I got a better offer." For the first time ever, Sen-Tel feared for his life, "If I give you the Engine of Creation, what will you do with it?" Trance's face became very serious, "I will undo a wrong you visited on a friend of mine, and then I will return it to its rightful owner. And it's not a question of if you give it to me: I can take it without you trying to stop me, and you will live, or I will take it over your dead body."

To Be Continued 


	39. One chance for redemption

Ok, so as this is my End-of-Season-4 story, I have to make up the plot from that season to get it to mush with this story. It's probably nothing like what will happen on the show.

Echoes of future past, part 39

Sen-Tel's eyes widened, "They're in my quarters: take them." Trance smiled, and allowed her farther to drop to the floor, "Thank you, but if you think I trust you to be alone with my ship, or friend, you are very much mistaken." The knife pinning Flux's had to the wall shot across the room, and Trance caught it expertly, "Flux, you will retrieve the Engine of Creation fragments from my fathers quarters while he stays here." She held the bloody knife out, pointing it at Sen-Tel, "Don't be long: it would bode ill for him if I was to get bored." Flux nodded and darted from the room.

Slowly getting to his feet, Sen-Tel looked at his daughter, "You truly are more powerful then you where ten years ago. What happened?" Trance smiled, playing with the knife, "Just before I joined the crew of the Eureka Maru I was approached by what appeared at the time to be a human. She new of my mission, and what Dylan was, and told me what would happen if I was to deliver him to you as planed. She also told me what would happen if you where to ever obtain the complete Engine of Creation. I asked for proof of what she said, and, well, let's say I 'saw the light' as the saying goes. I agreed to help her defeat the Spirit of the Abyss and retrieve the Engine of Creation, in return for a favour, to be replayed when the time was right: She said I would receive 'my hearts true desire' when it is all over."

Trance looked her farther in the eye, "To tell the truth, I would have done it for the chance to get even with you: I never wanted this mission, like I never wanted to join the military: you're right, I am a glorified gardener, but that's what I want to do, all I've ever wanted to do. You wanted me to be a warrior, a General, War Leader!"

Flux returned, pushing a trolley laden with four boxes. Trance smiled, "Good: load them onto the Maru. And don't try anything funny: I can snap your mind without breaking a sweat." Flux hurriedly pushed the trolley up the ramp and into the cargo ship, then ran back out. Sen-Tel looked at Trance as she started to push the gurney holding Rommie back into the ship, "I offer you one last chance to return to your people, one last chance to fulfil your destiny!" Trance turned to face him, "I'll tell you what my destiny is: if I ever see you again, it'll be my destiny to kill you. Leave these galaxies alone: they are under my protection." The airlock slammed shut.

With a shudder, the Maru lifted off and headed back out into space. Several targeting systems tried to lock onto the Maru, but Trance shrouded the ship with a field of interference, keeping them from obtaining a firing solution. With one last look at her former home, Trance took the ship into Slipstream. As she made her way through the cords, she thought to her self, "I'll need some help, and I know just who to ask."

Reverend Bohemian Fartraveller sat mediating, thankful that this Wayist monastery was hard to find: ever since his transformation on Empyrium, he had been hounded by scientists intent on finding out just what he had become. He had been forced to move about from monastery to mission, trying to find somewhere peaceful to reflect on what had happened to him. The soft footsteps from behind brought him back to the real world, "Trance Gemini: It has been to long." Trance smiled, "That it has my friend, that I has. I'm sorry to disturb you, but I need some help, and you are the only one I can turn to." The Wayist got to his feet, "As ever, I seek to serve the divine. What do you need me to do?"

He stood patiently as Trance filled him in on what had happened since they had last met on Empyrium: Tyr's plan to destroy the Drago-Kazov, the battle that had all but destroyed the Commonwealth fleet, the ensuing chaos, Dylan's desperate plan to hold things together long enough to defeat the World Ship, Tyr's return from his self imposed exile, the battles against the Kalderans, Nightsiders, Pyrian's, as they tried to hold everything together, the eventual stalemate that resulted in too much death and destruction on all sides. She then told him of Ryan, his trip back through time, the final attack on the World Ship, Dylan's fight with the Spirit of the Abyss, the bomb, Rommie's injury, and her death, and finally of her own mission to retrieve the Engine of Creation from her people.

Rev Bem nodded, "I understand your reasons, but not why you need my help?" Trance looked at the stars, "It takes to people to activate the Engine of Creation. I don't intend to use it at full power, but even at a lower setting it will, hopefully, be able to do something wonderful." Rev Bem smiled, "Then lead on."

Beka stood at the pilot's station, twiddling her thumbs: with Dylan in a near catatonic state, she was still acting captain. But the Andromeda was dead in the water, her slip-drive off-line, and her sub-light drive low on fuel. Harper was doing his best to fix the problem, but things where still tense. She drummed her fingers on the controls, "Harper, how long till we can get out of here? As much as I love deep space, this is getting real old, real fast."

The Engineers voice came back over the com-system, "Hay, I'm doing my best here, but we really need to book Andromeda in for a tune up: I've got leaking AP-valves, a misaligned slipstream lenses, ruptured power conduits and fractured support beams. We are taking major overhaul her!" Beka nodded, "Ok, I here you, but try and remember, only five shipyards where ever built that could handle a _Glorious Heritage_ class Heavy Cruiser: the main High Guard fleet yards at Tarn-Vedra, the Newport New yards in orbit of Earth, the Sinti Orbital Array, the new Mobius yards and the San-Ska-Re navel yards. New, as Tarn-Vedra is cut off from slipstream, Newport New yards where destroyed during the fall of the first Commonwealth, and our old friend the Balance of Judgment all but destroyed the Sinti Orbital Array, and the Drago-Kazov knocked the Mobius yards out of commission, our only hope is to get to San-Ska-Re and hope that the Than will let us use their facilities."

Andromeda appeared on the main view screen, "Beka, a slip fighter just exited slipstream: Banshee class, Drago-Kazov markings." Beka stood bolt upright, " Drago's? I thought those guys where all but extinct?" Andromeda nodded, "It appears that we where mistaken. The fighter is a reconnaissance model: there is a good chance that it was sent to find us so the remainder of the fleet could catch us alone and unsupported." Beka started punching commands into the controls, "We have to stop it: fire a missile, launch a grapple line, anything, just stop it before it reaches slipstream!" A spread of missile shot out from Andromeda, hunting for the fleeing slip fighter. The smaller craft dodged and weaved, avoiding the missiles. Beka slammed her fist down onto the controls, "Launch another spread!" Andromeda's holographic form appeared next to her, "I cant: those where my last missiles. We are unarmed."

To Be Continued


	40. Beginning of the end

Echoes of future past, part 40

Beka tabbed the com-system, "Harper, we REALLY need slipstream!"

*********************************************************************

Several hundred light years away, the Nietzschean fighter exited slipstream before a rag-tag fleet of ship. The pilot smiled as he hailed the lead ship, "Inform Fleet Marshall Ataturk: we have found the Andromeda Ascendant, and she is dead in the water." One by one, the Nietzschean ship's headed for slipstream.

*********************************************************************

The Maru exited slipstream at a point in space long ago agreed on, and Trance unbuckled herself from the pilots seat and made her way back to the crew quarters. Rev Bem was sat at the mess table, examining a flexi, "You say that this is how the Engine of Creation needs to be re assembled?" Trance shrugged, "It's what I was told." Rev Bem raised an eyebrow, "If I am permitted to ask: told by whom?" Trance shrugged again, "To tell you the truth, I don't know: best guess would be the same being you met on Empyrium."

This got the Wayist's attention, "You mean…" Trance smiled, "I think we're working for the same person. Now help me clear a space." Rev Bem nodded, and the two of them started to re-arrange furniture so that there was enough room to assemble the Engine of Creation. When they where done, trance started the boxes she had recovered from her farther, and set about assembling the device, Rev Bem reading the instructions out to her.

*********************************************************************

Beka almost jumped out of her skin when Andromeda reported that a Nietzschean Cruiser had exited slipstream. She was even more surprised when it hailed them instead of firing. Charlemagne Bolivar's face appeared on the main screen, "Well, well, well, Captain Valentine, or should I say Captain Anasazi, fancy seeing you here." Beka smiled slightly, "Charlemagne: you're very well informed, as usual." The Sabra-Jaguar Arch-Duke laughed, "I keep a close eye on people I find interesting, including you and your new husband." Beka leaned forwards, "Now the pleasantries are done with: why are you here?"

Charlemagne shrugged, "I was wondering where you where: there is one hell of a party going back on Mobius, and you're missing it." Beka's face tightened slightly, "We're not in the partying mood. Plus, our engines are off line and we just had a fly-by from a Drago-Kazov recon-fighter." The Nietzschean jumped to his feet, "Forgive me, but I was under the impression that they where extinct!" Beka shrugged, "Reports of their demise where obviously exaggerated." Charlemagne turned to one of his aids, "Launch slip couriers: have the rest of the fleet converge on this location." He turned back to Beka; "We will end this, once and for all!"

*********************************************************************

Trance gently lifted the last component of the Engine of Creation and lowered it into place, "Ok, dose this look right to you?" Rev Bem looked at the flexi, and then back to the assembled device, "As far as I can tell, we put it together correctly: we won't know until we try and use it. What exactly are we going to do?" Trance shrugged, "Yet again, I don't know: I was told to bring it here, assemble it, and wait."

A bright light filled the Maru from stem to stern, blinding Trance and Rev Bem. The Engine of Creation started to hum, then glowed all over, fusing into one piece. It lifted up and floated in the air, a few centimetres above the deck. It started to rotate, slowly at first, but building up speed. Lose pieces of paper where lifted up off of the deck as the spinning machine created a whirlwind, forcing Trance and Rev Bem to grab hold of the bulkhead for support.

*********************************************************************

A pair of Sabra-Jaguar destroyers exited slipstream and took up covering positions alongside the Andromeda and Charlemagne's ship. Beka stood at the airlock, waiting for the Nietzscheans ship to dock, Tyr at her side. The door opened, and Charlemagne stepped through, followed by two of his personal bodyguards, "Captain, Commander. I'm surprised that Dylan isn't here to great me." Beka's face fell slightly, "The mission to destroy the Point Singularity Projector suffered casualties: Dylan's been comatose since he returned." Charlemagne nodded, "I take it that your ship's Avatar didn't make it then. Don't look so shock, you yourself said that I was very well informed: I may not understand the attraction, other than purely physical, but it is slightly poetic: a warrior in love with a WarShip."

Tyr was slightly confused, "But why are you here?" Charlemagne looked at the taller man, "To put it bluntly, you: my spies in the smaller Prides have been bringing roomers of a joint effort to strike back at you for that little stunt you pulled, pretending to be the genetic reincarnation of Drago Musevini. I must say Tyr old chap, well done: it was a plan worthy of a Jaguar! The war that it resulted in hurt them suavely, and someone has been using it to stir up trouble. We have been unable to find out whom, but I think it's now obvious that it must be our old friend, Fleet Marshall William Ataturk of the Drago-Kazov."

Beka blinked, "What do they want?" Charlemagne looked her in the eye, a hint of sadness in his own, "Yours husbands head, on a silver platter, and if their inelegance is as good as mine, yours and that of your unborn son as well."

To Be Continued


	41. Take from me my wounded soul…

_Gordon AI once asked me when is this story is going to end, but truth be told, I don't know **IF** it's going to end: every time I think I've worked out how to bring it to it's conclusion, more plot-bunny's pop up, and it get bigger, more complex._

Echoes of future past, part 41

Beka's legs gave out, forcing Tyr to grab her before she hit the deck. Charlemagne felt ill at ease, "Look, I only found out two days ago: I'm sure the Drago's don't know anything about the two of you." He said, trying to be reassuring.

"The Drago-Kazov Pride is not going to hurt you, your baby, or anybody else on this ship."

The voice made Beka, Tyr and Charlemagne spin round: Dylan stood in the hatchway, his eye as cold and hard as tempered steel, completely devoid of any human emotion, except an all consuming hate that seemed to come from the very core of his being. Beka managed to stand, "Dylan, you should be in medical: the doctors haven't released you yet." His eyes burned right through her like blowtorches, "This is MY ship! MY command! And it will be a cold day in hell when let a bastard like Ataturk take her from me, not while there is still breath left in my body!"

*******************************************************************

Trance felt like the universe was being pulled inside out. She tried to yell to Rev Bem, but the air was sucked from her lungs by the vortex created by the Engine of Creation. The devise it's self was no longer visible: where it had been was a pulsating light that drew her towards it like a siren song, willing her to let go, calling her into it's depths.

The straps holding Rommie to the bunk started to loosen as the drag on her body increases, taking the thick marital to its limits. With a loud snap, the first snap gave way, and Trance watched on in terror her friend was pulled across the room and disappeared into the light. Rev Bem felt his fingers slip on the smooth metal of the hatchway. He closed his eyes, and consigning his fate to divine will, let go. Trance, suddenly alone, decided that the universe would take care of its self. Letting go, she fell into the light.

*******************************************************************

Beka was having a hard time keeping up with Dylan's swift pace as he stalked to command, his face set like hardest granite, "Dylan, you're being emotional right now, and that's not a good thing right before we go into battle!" The High Guard Captain ignored her, and started to climb a ladder leading up through the decks.

Tyr grabbed Dylan by the shoulders, "Listen to me: I can't understand how you feel, I've never been through a similar situation, but this is not a wise course of action. You are letting your grief and guilt could your judgment, and that is playing right into Ataturk's hands! Just stop and think about this for one minuet." For a moment, it looked like Dylan was listing to the tall Nietzschean.

Then, quick as a rattlesnake, his head moved back then forwards, his forehead slamming into Tyr's nose, shattering the cartilage with a loud crack.

Try fell like a puppet whose strings had been suddenly cut, landing on the deck with a thump. Beka ran to his side, helping him up into a sitting position. The tactical officers hand moved up to his bleeding nose, shocked by the speed and viciousness of the attack. Dylan turned to look at Charlemagne, "You got anything you want to add?" The Sabra-Jaguar Arch-Duke took a half-step back, "Only that being in touch of your emotions is said to be good for you." Dylan's face didn't change, "Andromeda tells me we are out of missile." Charlemagne nodded, "I'll have my ship's send over as many as they can." Without a second glance, Dylan stalked of to command.

Charlemagne looked don at Tyr; "Now there goes a man I'd not want to face in battle right now."

*******************************************************************

Trance felt herself floating, completely surrounded by light. She could not tell how far the void extended: it was completely featureless, the lighting universal, without shadows. She had an odd sensation, like her body was spinning slowly, and for some strange reason, she felt safe. Her mind drifted, and she found herself thinking of Harper, wondering how he was and what he was doing: despite everything she had seen and experienced in her long life, the thought of being back with Harper made heel feel warm and happy.

A voice echoed through her mind, "You have chosen well, Del-Rak of the House of Chellran: as promised, your hearts true desire shall be yours."

To Be Continued


	42. Hearts true desirer

_Congratulations to Michael and Lexa on tying the knot._

Sorry for the delay guys and girls: I got bullied into writing some SG-1 fan-fiction.

Echoes of future past, part 42

Trance was shocked to hear the voice in her head: it was a voice she had not heard since she had joined the Eureka Maru, many years before. The voice was strange, yet somehow comforting. She felt the cold, hard deck of the Maru beneath her feet, and her vision cleared: the Engine of Creation was gone, and in it's place stood a tall woman dressed in a whiter robe, "Hello again Del-Rak, or should I call you Trance Gemini?" Trance blinked, "What happened?"

The woman smiled, "I fulfilled my promise: I can not make Seamus Harper love you more then he dose, that would require me to affect his free-will, but I can make it easier for the two of you to be together." Trance was confused, "I do not understand." The woman nodded, "It is simple, in a way: you are now human. Physically, you may look the same as ever on the outside, but you are as human as he is."

*******************************************************************

Dylan entered command, his face like death it's self, the new crew member unsure what to make of it: his relationship with Rommie had not been a secret, and the entire crew had learned of her death on the Maru as it drifted helplessly after it's escape from the World Ship. The look on his face was enough to keep any of them from enquiring, especially when Tyr entered, a bandage covering his broken nose.

Taking his regular position to the right of the pilot's station, Dylan tapped a few commands into the console, "Andromeda, status." The AI's image flicked into existence on the main screen, "As Charlemagne promised, the Sabra-Jaguar ship's have started transferring over missiles, but there is a limit to how many they can spare before it impedes their own combat effectiveness. My anti-proton tanks are at 5%, meaning I can use my AP cannons, but for at most 30-seconds of continues fire. I've lost 50% of my attack drones, and 25% of my fighters, and most of those left have damage of some sort or another."

Dylan nodded, not moving his eyes from the readout before him, "Remove the missiles from the damaged fighters and move them to the main magazines, then have the ground crews drain their fuel tanks: we need every last anti-proton we can get."

*******************************************************************

Trance was awe-struck: she tried to use any of her abilities, but they had all disappeared. She looked at the woman, "What about Rommie, Rev Bem?" The woman smiled, "They have also severed the greater good, and as such have also received their hearts true desire. I'm sure the Reverend Bohemian Fartraveller will adapt to this easily, I am not sure Andromeda will be able to deal without help from a good friend."

Still confused Trance nodded, "What about me people?" A glowing ball appeared in the woman's had: it changed to a shimmering mirror, then to show the huge Warship her people called home disappearing off into slipstream, "Have no fear, Trance Gemini: they think they are headed for the world of Mobius, but they will never get their." Trance's eyes went wide, "What are you going to do to them?"

The woman laughed, "Don't worry, nothing bad will happen to them, much as they deserve it: they will merely find themselves in a part of the universe where they can re-build their civilisation in peace." The ball dissipated, "Now, you still have two tasks ahead of you: you must help Andromeda to come to terms with what has happened, and you must save the others before they are destroyed by their enemies."

Trance looked worried, "The other? Dylan, Tyr, Beka? What's going to happen to them?" The woman looked sad, "As much as I would like to make the universe the perfect reality you sought for so long, I can only seek to maintain equilibrium: every sentient being in the universe has freewill. You are proof of that, so is the one you call Rev Bem: you have both moved beyond what you where, to what you want to be, and are better people for the experience. Hurry, time is running out, and you must find help for your friends." With a flash of light, the woman disappeared.

*******************************************************************

Beka waited till she was far enough away from command so that there was no chance that Dylan would overhear her before she approached the com-unit, "Andromeda." The AI's face appeared on the small screen, "Commander. How may I help you?" Beka sighed, "I need to know the procedure to relieve Dylan of command: I don't think he's in any fit state to be making life or death decisions right now."

Andromeda looked at her blankly, "You would need the agreement of at lest three other senior command officers, then you would have to go to the master at arms and have him accompany you to command and officially state your reasons for relieving Dylan before the ship's company." Beka nodded, "Ok, who would count as senior command officers?" Andromeda blinked, "High Guard rules and regulations state that the senior command officers are as follows: Ship's captain, first officer, tactical officer, chief engineer, chief medical officer and ship's AI."

Beka nodded, "Well, I'm first officer, Tyr's tactical officer, and I know he'd agree after what Dylan did to him, Harper chief engineer. Trance is our CMO, but she's gone off in the Maru, so that leave you." Andromeda blinked, "But Beka: I do not believe that Dylan is incapacitated or un-fit to command."

*******************************************************************

Rommie slowly opened her eyes, and was shocked by what she saw: the Maru's crew quarters. Not diagnostic review, no systems overlay, no exterior communications, even her link to the cargo ships basic AI network was down. She placed her hands palm down on the deck, and was shock by what she felt: cold. Not just a low temperature, or the fluctuations in the AG field, but cold.

She could hear a loud beating sound in her ear. She tried to extrapolate what it was, but her diagnostic system appeared to be off-line. She slowly raised her hands and looked at them: there was something different. She reached across with her right hand and pinched the back of her left hand. She jumped suddenly: pain. Not just a registering of pressure, but pain: she was hurt by it. She had never been so scared.

Quickly back pedalling with her hands and feet, she moved into the corner of the room, bringing her knees up, clutching them protectively with her arms. Again she felt the sensation of cold, this time coming from the small of her back. She tentatively reached round with her hand, and felt a hole in the back of her uniform, and more shockingly, warm flesh underneath. Her eyes darted around the room, and she noticed that she was breathing heavily. Not just the reflex action that Harper had built into her: she was really breathing. Consumed by fear, she did the only thing that came to mind: "**DYLAN!**" Footsteps reverberated off of the deck plating, and Rommie was relived to see Trance enter the room form the mess, "What's happened to me?"

Trance kneeled down in front of her friend and looked at her, a huge grin on her face, "It work! I wasn't sure it would, but it worked!" she placed a hand on her friends face, the end of her index finger just touching Rommie's neck, and she felt something strange. She moved her hand, and was surprised by what she felt: a pulse.

To Be Continued

@Troll99: ok, respect due if only for the sheer scale of Android or Human?, but I've always though that your Rommie dealt with her transformation better then she would have in the real world.


	43. Gifts and Rewards

We appear to be back on track for an ending around episode 45, but it may go past that: there are still a few things I need to add to bring it to it's rightful conclusion. And before anyone says anything, I know this mirrors part of The Hunter, but that's only coincidental.

Echoes of future past, part 43

Rommie was worried when she saw Trance's eye widen and her jaw drop "What… What is it?" Trance looked at her, lost for words for a few seconds, "Rommie, you're human."

*******************************************************************

Beka looked at the screen, "What do you mean, you don't believe that Dylan is incapacitated or un-fit to command! He's just lost the woman he loves, then left medical without the doctors permission, broke Tyr's nose and returned to Command. In my book, that's a sign of unstable-mind!"

Andromeda looked Beka straight in the eye, "As far as I can see, Dylan is yet to display any sign of physical or physiological impairment. I know he is upset, and should be in medical, but the current situation is drastic enough that he is needed in Command. I understand your personal feelings towards his attack on Tyr, but your husband did goad him slightly. Now I admit that his reaction was somewhat extreme, and if you wish to file a complaint with the Admiral, I will be more than willing to provide you with a recording of the event, but now is not the time."

*******************************************************************

Rev Bem came to in the Maru's engineering space, confused as to what had happened: he remembered helping Trance to assemble the Engine of Creation, and the bright light, be everything else was blank. He slowly got to his feet, his head spinning, and started to make is way towards to cockpit.

He entered the mess and saw Trance kneeling over something he couldn't quite see, "Trance, are you ok?" The golden skinned woman turned to face him and gasped, "Rev?" He nodded, "Yes, what is it?" Trance stood, and Rev saw Rommie looking up at him, a mixture of shock and bewilderment on her face. Trance walked over to Rev Bem and ran a hand down the side of his face, "So this is what she meant by you'd received your hearts true desire!" She turned to look at Rommie, "Both of you! In fact, all three of us!"

Rev Bem was confused, "Trance, please do not take this the wrong way, but you are making even less sense then normal. What do you mean 'hearts true desire'?" Trance put her arms round Rev Bem's neck, "You're human. So is Rommie, and if what I was told is true, so am I!" Rommie blinked, "But How? Why?" Trance lifted her friend to her feet, "In Rev Bem's case, it was because he proved he was more than just another Magog. I was made human because it will allow me to be with Harper, which is what I want, and Rommie, in your case it was a gift, a chance to live a life with Dylan in a way you couldn't before."

*******************************************************************

Baker stormed back into command, unable to believe what Andromeda had said: Dylan was so far from stable that he couldn't even see it on a clear day. Apart from his attack on Tyr, he seemed outwardly calm, but Beka had seen that look before, back when her farther had tried to give up Flash: it was the look of someone with nothing left to live for. But Andromeda seemed determined to keep him in command, and was doing anything she could to stall Beka's plan to relive him.

Understanding it Beka like a lightning-bolt: Andromeda was grieving for Rommie, the same as the rest of them, her sense of loss second only to Dylan's. Beka remembered the conversation she had had with the AI's holographic Avatar just before the battle with the damaged World Ship: Andromeda had cared from Rommie like a sister, or maybe like a daughter was a better choice of words, had had been distant after the Maru had been recovered. Beka only hoped that the AI had not gotten her hopes up when Trance had high-tailed it with the Engine of Creation fragment, blabbering something brining Rommie back. Even if it did no good, she'd kill the golden skinned girl the next time he saw her.

Seeking some understanding, Beka turned to Dylan, "Did Trance say anything to you on the World Ship that might explain her actions?" Dylan looked distant, "She said some thing, very little of which I understood, but nothing that would explain this."

*******************************************************************

Trance ran past an astonished Rev Bem and dived into the pilots seat, bringing the Maru's drive back on-line, "She said the others where in trouble, and we had to find them help." She thought for a moment, "I know just the place. Hold on!"

With a shudder, the Maru entered Slipstream.

To Be Continued

Anybody who's thinking of quoting the Bible at me (It's happened in the past), take note: I'm a practicing Catholic who got a C-grade GCSE in Religious Education, so I know I'm cutting a little close at times, but I'm trying not to be disrespectful or sacrilegious.


	44. Bring me my bow of burning gold, Bring m...

And now it all comes together… 

Echoes of future past, part 44

The Maru bucked and shudder as Trance navigated a rarely used portion of Slipstream. Rommie managed to drag herself to the cockpit, acquiring several lumps and bruises on the way, an unnerving experience for a former Avatar, "Where are we going?"  The ship lurched suddenly as Trace cut between streams, the equivalent of crossing a phone line, "Waite and see: we're almost there!" The words where barley out when the Maru exited slipstream, sending Rev Bem and Rommie to the deck.

Rommie pulled herself up into a keeling position, her eyes wide, "By the Empress!"

*******************************************************************

Andromeda's imaged filed the main screen, "Registering multiple slipstream events at the edge of sensor range." Dylan nodded, "On screen." The image changed to show a fleet of ship's exiting slipstream in fleet formation and lining up in front of the Andromeda and the Sabra-Jaguar ship's under Charlemagne Bolivar's control.

Dylan's face was grim, "Battle Stations!"

Throughout the huge warship, crewmembers dropped what they where doing and ran to their assigned stations, powering up the point defence lasers and deploying the combat fins. Most of the interior lights changed to blue, on the off chance that anyone had mistaken the Battle stations call for anything else. Bit by bit, the Andromeda Ascended prepared to face it's new foe.

Beka tabbed the com-system, "Harper, now would be a really good time to tell us we have slipstream!" The engineers normally jovial tones where muted, "Not a chance boss: It'll be at lest another two hours before we can do anything above 25-PSL, and even then, we don't have the fuel to play tag."

Andromeda's holographic Avatar appeared next to Dylan. If he felt anything at seeing the duplicate of his lost love again, he didn't show it. The AI looked dead ahead, "We are being hailed by the lead cruiser." Dylan nodded, "On screen." The main view screen changed, the stars cape replaced by the ragged image of Fleet Marshall William Ataturk of the Drago-Kazov. The past 18-mounths of war had changed him from his former hansom self to a ragged man, aged beyond his years, "Captain Hunt: at long last, we meet again. And I see you where able to bring the other man I was looking for: Tyr Anasazi. If you would be good enough to place yourselves in a shuttle, along with the remains of the progenitor, I will spare your ship and crew." Dylan leaned forward, his eyes as hard as diamond, "Go. To. Hell."

Ataturk blinked, visibly shaken by Dylan's statement, "Don't tell me the famously pacifistic Dylan Hunt has finally grown a back-bone? You really think that ship of yours is in any condition to face my forces? Even with that fool Bolivar backing you up, you have nowhere near the firepower needed to even to defeat me!" The screen slip in two along the vertical as Charlemagne cut-in, "Hope you don't mind me butting in, but it is bad manners to say such things about someone, and not give them a chance to defend themselves." Ataturk eyes burned with rage, "I will give you one chance to save you people Bolivar: side with me now, and I will be lenient in my dealings with the Sabra-Jaguar, after I have united the Nietzschean people under the Drago-Kazov. Under my leadership, we will take our rightful place as the rulers of the known worlds!" Beka held her breath, as Charlemagne seemed to think over the other mans offer. Then the Sabra-Jaguar Arch-Duke smiled, "I do believe Dylan put it best when he said 'Go to hell.' Now be a good chap, do the universe a favour, and die." Enraged beyond words, Ataturk cut the link; his ship's moving into attack vectors.

Dylan looked at Charlemagne with newfound respect, "Gutsy move: you know what'll try and do if he survives?" Charlemagne shrugged, "Then we have to make sure he doesn't survive. Fight well, Dylan Hunt." Dylan saluted the other man, "Fight well, Charlemagne Bolivar." The link died as the Sabra-Jaguar ships took up covering position around the Andromeda; overlapping their defensive fire, while leaving the field wide open to fire at the hostile ships.

Dylan tuned to Tyr, "Mr Anasazi: see to it that your wife makes it to an escape-pod." Beka went to complain, but the first salvo of Drago-Kazov missiles slammed into the near helpless ship, shaking it violently. Tyr moved fast, grabbing his wife under the arms, and dragging her from command. Dylan turned to Andromeda, "Sound General-Quarters, then abandon ship: I won't have the crew pay my debts." A shrill tone filled the ship, and was follows by the lower, repeating tone signalling Abandon Ship.

Tyr ran back into command and took his place at the weapons station, a black eye already forming where Beka had obviously gotten in a lucky shot as he forced her into n escape-pod. Dylan looked at him, "In case you haven't noticed, I have ordered all crew members to abandon ship." Tyr's eyes stayed down cast, "I abandoned my obligations to this ship once, and I almost dammed us all: I will not make the same mistake twice." Dylan nodded, and turned to Andromeda, "Target Ataturk's ship with everything we have. Power-up the X-Ray Laser: well finish this up-close and personal." The AI nodded, It's holographic form blinking out.

The lights dimmed as Andromeda fed power to her seldom used main-gun. A weapons port in the bow opened, reviling the huge focusing array of the 500-megawhat weapon. It glowed slightly as Dylan took the pilots station, moving the ship close to Ataturk's, closing the distance to the 4-light second maximum range.

Dylan's eyes narrowed, the other ship growing larger on the main screen, "Fire!"

The lights in command dimmed even further as the weapon discharged, a pulsating red beam striking out at the smaller vassal, ripping a huge rent down it's starboard side, pealing back armour and internal structure like tissue-paper.

Tyr blinked, "Why have we never used this before?" Dylan leaned back from the now useless controls, "Because a shot like that takes most of our power: It'll take Andromeda awhile to re-charge her capacitors. Till them we're dead in the water, again." Tyr nodded, "Captain Hunt, it has been one of the grates honours of my life to serve with you." Dylan nodded as more missiles struck the ship, "Likewise Mr Anasazi, likewise."

A Sabra-Jaguar destroyer exploded in a huge fireball, signalling the begging of the end. Dylan relaxed, waiting for it to end at long last: he had cheated death 300-years before when he had been taped by the black hole. He'd never looked for death, for it had always been around him, but now he remembered an old proverb from pre-commonwealth earth: The only reason for walking into the jaws of Death is so you can kick them in. Dylan smiled slightly, "Andromeda, ramming speed."

The AI was about to respond when the sky was lit up with multiple Slipstream exit-points. Hundreds of ship's pored into the system, the Maru at they're head. Tyr's eyes went wide as the ship's came into focus: they where High Guard ship's, but not the fleet that was stationed at Mobius. Cruisers, Destroyers and Frigates exited the null-space that was Slipstream and closed on the Drago-Kazov fleet.

The main view screen flicked on: "This is Admiral Uxulta of the High Guard Tarn Vedra division, to Drago-Kazov fleet: stand down or we will destroy you!"

TBC


	45. Recriminations and Reunions

*Warning: Fluff Alert!!!*

Echoes of future past, part 45

All fighting stopped at the sight of the Vedran officer, giving the High Guard ship's time to take up position around the Drago-Kazov. Uxulta seemed inpatient, "Fleet Marshall Ataturk, respond, or I will take your reply to be negative, and we will destroy every last ship in your fleet." Dylan noticed that the Sabra-Jaguar ship's had gotten in as close to Andromeda as they could, and had powered down all but their defensive weaponry: Charlemagne didn't want to be mistaken for the enemy.

Ataturk appeared on the screen, shaking visibly, "What proof do I have that this is not some trick with Footprint Magnification units?" Uxulta turned to the side and issued a command. Dylan watched in amazement as a _Siege Perilous_ class Destroyer took up position less than 1km off of the lead Nietzschean warship, nose to nose. Uxulta smiled, "Dose that look like an FMS trick to you? Surrender and I will let you live." Ataturk nodded, knowing that there was no-way he'd survive if the High Guard warship fired, "I will order my ship's to, to stand down." Uxulta nodded, "That is expectable." The Destroyer slowly backed away from the Nietzschean, keeping its weapons pointed straight at the other ship.

Andromeda's holographic form blinked back into existence, "Dylan, we are being hailed by the Admiral's ship." Dylan nodded, still shocked by what had happened, "On screen." The screen switched from the view of the ship's to the now familiar blue face of Admiral Uxulta, "Captain Hunt, it is god to see you again." Dylan brought himself to attention, "Admiral. After Ral Partheia, we assumed you where dead." Uxulta smiled, "No captain, I am very much alive, which is more than can be said for the Kalderon's. I wish I could have returned sooner, but, there where complications that I cannot explain over an open frequency. I will transfer over to your ship." The Vedran smiled anew, a twinkle in her eye; "I have someone with me I believe you will want to meet."

*******************************************************************

Dylan made his way down to the docking bay in a daze as Tyr oversaw the recovery of the escape pods from command. Andromeda had made her feelings clear: the Vedran's had abandoned the Commonwealth when they had cut their home world off from slipstream, and she blamed them for the death of so many of her friends during The Fall and The Long Night. Dylan had to admit that he could see where she was coming from: she blamed them for Rommie's death.

The airlock opened, and Dylan felt his chest tighten as he saw the Maru, the memories of his last time on the small cargo ship suddenly fresh in his mind. The hatch opened, and he came sharply to attention as Admiral Uxulta, her four hooves resonating sharply against the metal deck as she walked over, "Captain Hunt, Dylan, it is I who should salute you: you are the one who rebuilt the Commonwealth, almost single handed."

"It would not have fallen if you had stayed to fight, instead of hiding like you did." Andromeda's accusing voice came out of thin air just before here holographic form appeared, "They fought as hard as they could, the other ships, but you just abandoned them, like you did everyone else! We where taught to respect and reviver the Vedran people as grate leaders and warriors, but when we needed you most, you ran away." Dylan's jaw dropped, "I apologise: Andromeda has been through a lot recently." Uxulta shook her head, "No, it's quite all right Captain, Andromeda has made a valid point: my people abandon the Commonwealth, and in doing so, forfeited any right we had to expect your obedience and gratitude when we did return. In fact, if not for the actions of your crewmates, we would not have returned when we did."

Dylan blinked, "Crewmates?" Uxulta stood aside as Trance and Rev Bem walked down the ramp, smiling. "Hi guys." said Trance, stopping next to the High Guard Admiral, her uniform still baring the rank insignia of War Leader, "Sorry we took so long, but we had places to go, people to see." Dylan felt the long-suppressed rage building up with in him, "What exactly did you do?" Trance glanced over to Rev Bem, who simply nodded, before smiling at Dylan, "I think it would be better if we just show you." She turned back to the Maru, "You can come out now."

A figure shyly walked from the shadows inside the ship, and Dylan felt like his head was going to explode: dressed in the same uniform she has warn on the World Ship, Rommie slowly walked down the ramp, hugging herself, her eyes low but fixed on Dylan. Andromeda was equally amazed, even more so when she tried to establish a link to her Avatar, only to find it was impossible. She scanned Rommie to see what the problem was, and even she was stunned by what she found: Rommie was human.

Rommie stopped just in front of Dylan, "Hi." Still deeply in shock, Dylan raised a hand slowly, and gently reached out to touch her, running his fingers down the side of her face, shocked to find that she was real, and not a hallucination born of insanity. Suddenly jerked back to reality, Dylan grabbed Rommie and brought her into a tight embrace, tears running down his face, "I thought I'd lost you." He managed to say between sobs. Rommie clasped her arms around his neck as her own tears started.

Harper and Beka, freshly recovered from their escape pods, walked through the hatchway, Tyr following on their heels. Harper blinked, looking from Rommie and Dylan to the others, his eyes went wide as he noticed the Vedran and the now fully human Rev Bem, "Ok: what'd we miss?"

To Be Continued


	46. Explanations

@Hope for Love: Yes, the end is near, but there are still things that need to be said/done.

Echoes of future past, part 46

Trance couldn't help but laugh: trust Harper to be Harper. She looked over at Dylan and Rommie: they where so caught up in the emotion of the moment that they where oblivious to what was going on around them. She walked over to Beka and the others, "I'll explain everything in the briefing room: I think Dylan and Beka could use some time alone." When they where out of the landing bay, she turned to Rev Bem, "Would you mind?" The Wayist Monk nodded, "I will remain and explain things to Dylan the best I can." Trance nodded, and after looking at Uxulta for permission, led the way along the corridor.

*********************************************************************

Dylan was finally able to compose himself enough to pull back slightly and look Rommie in the face, "I thought you died?" Rommie nodded sadly, "I think I did. It's not that clear to me: Trance tried to explain, but there wasn't enough time. Who or whatever she's been working for told us that you where in danger, and that we had to get you help. Trance was somehow able to cut across cords in slipstream, and bypassed the block the Vedrans had erected. I don't know what she said to them, but they agreed to return to the known worlds, and Admiral Uxulta was sent to help."

Dylan looked deeply into Rommie's eyes, and taking the sides of her face in his hands, kissed her deeply. After what seemed like an eternity, he broke away, "I still can't believe that your back!" Rommie smiled slightly, "That's not the only amazing thing: I'm human." Dylan blinked, not sure if he had heard correctly, "What?" Rommie blushed slightly, "I'm human. I don't know how it happened: I remember being on the Maru with you, and you telling me that we had defeated the Spirit of the Abyss, and then nothing until I woke up yesterday, alone. I was so scared, I called for you, and Trance came. She put her hands on the side of my neck, and her fingers touched my pulse." Dylan moved his own hands, and was shocked to see that it was true. Rommie smiled, "The doctors confirmed it when we reached Tarn Vedra: I'm as human as you are. So are Rev Bem and Trance." Dylan blinked, "How?"

"I may be able to explain that better." Rev Bem said from the doorway, "Forgive my intrusion: Trance has taken the other to the briefing room to explain things to them, while I stayed to answer any questions you may have." Dylan nodded, "Then please, explain." Rommie shifted round so her back was to Dylan, but held his arms tight around her body, seeking safety and comfort in his arms.

Rev Bem sat on a cargo pod, "Trance told you of her home world, of her people, and how they where all but destroyed by the Spirit of the Abyss." Dylan nodded, "Yes, but she didn't tell me the whole truth: there where parts she missed out so I would do what she wanted." Rev Bem sighed, "Sometimes, you must seek to do the grater good: had Trance told you the truth back then, you would not have trusted her, and that would have been the end of us all. It is true that, for the most part, Trance's people are just as vicious and deadly as any other race, maybe more so because of their powers and skills, but like any other race, there are the exceptions: am I the same as any other Magog? Is Tyr the same as most Nietzscheans? No: all sentient beings have the ability to grow beyond what they are, to what they could be. Trance was sent to infiltrate the crew of the Erika Maru, so that she would be there when the Andromeda was pulled from the black hole. She was then meant to take control of the ship and deliver you to a pre-arranged pot where her people would turn you into a weapon." Dylan nodded, "Trance told me about the Spirit of Light." 

Rev Bem motioned them to a cargo crate opposite his own, "Yes, the leader of her people, who is also her farther, would have used you against the Spirit of the Abyss, then turned you on the known worlds, and take over. But, before he joined the Maru, a being that knew of her mission approached Trance, and that she did not want to perform it. She offered Trance another option: work towards the grater good, the 'perfect possible future' that she was so obsessed with when she was younger. Well, relatively younger. Trance acted as your guide and your concisions, leading you, leading us all, to this point."

Dylan nodded, "But what about Rommie? You? Trance? How can you all be human? Why?" Rev Bem smiled, "Trance never wanted to be a solider, but her farther was obsessed with the concept of becoming a god, and he ordered his people to seek out the Engine of Creation. They managed to find for of the fragments, the last being the one you recovered from Shintaida. Trance knew how powerful the devise was, and decided that it could be used to bring Rommie back. She took the Maru and returned to the ship her people have been living on since their home world was destroyed, and forced her farther to hand over the pieces in his hands. From what she told me, there is some very bad blood between the two of them. She then cane and found me, it takes two people to activate the Engine of Creation, and we went to a point in space that the being Trance has been working for had decided on, years ago, and assembled the Engine of Creation. It activated it's self, and we where sucked into the energy vortex."

Rev Smiled, "As to the how, I don't remember what happened, I was unconscious for most of it, but when I awoke, Trance was with Rommie in the crew quarters, and we where all human. The why I simple: it was our reward for helping make the universe a better place, and for becoming more than we had been." Dylan blinked, "Reward?" Rev chuckled, "Yes Dylan, a reward: for me, it was no longer being a Magog, a chance to put that all behind me. For Rommie here, it was the chance to live a life with you that would not have been possible had she remain an Android. As for Trance?" He smiled, "I think a curtain engineer is going to find his life a lot more complicated, and happy, from now on. Come, let us join the others."

To Be Continued


	47. Contempt, Confessions, Comfort and Conce...

@Hope for Love: don't be too sad about this story ending. After a short brake (I have an SG1 story to finish, or the poster will kill me), I'm going to get back to work on _Chrysalis_.

@Gordon AI: You just can't please some people, but hopefully this chapter will.

@Troll99: Glad you liked it. I couldn't help but feel it was a bit muddled, but that's just me.

Echoes of future past, part 47

"So you can have Andromeda repaired and ready to go in two hours?" Beka asked Uxulta as Dylan, Rommie and Rev Bem walked into the briefing room. Dylan wasn't surprised to see Charlemagne sitting next to Tyr, seemingly in awe of the Vedran officer, and no doubt thinking of how to use this to his advantage. Uxulta nodded, "That is correct Captain Anasazi: the _Right of Passage_ has all the parts needed to repair your slipstream drive." The last line was directed at Andromeda's holographic form, but the AI still looked angry, "Helping out at last?"

"That's enough Andromeda!" Dylan found himself barking at the hologram, "I know you're angry with the Vedrans, and it may be justified, but you are still talking to a superior, and you will act like the High Guard officer you are!" Andromeda looked at Dylan, then lowered her head, "I apologise for my outburst: it will not happen again." He voice dripped with venom, but Dylan decided to ignore it, "What's the plan?"

Uxulta smiled, "Arch-Duke Bolivar here has informed me that most of the new Commonwealth's leadership is on the world of Mobius. I suggest that we proceed there as soon as possible, and I will present Tarn Vedra's partition to join the Commonwealth." Charlemagne blinked, "You're going to ask to be allowed to join the Commonwealth? Your people founded the bloody thing, can't you just say you're a member and be done with it?" The Vedran laughed, "As I explained to Captain Hunt earlier, my people can no-longer expect the blind obedience of the Commonwealth: we lost that right when we abandoned them during the fall." Andromeda snorted, "Dame straight." Dylan fixed her with an icy look, stopping her from making any further comment. Uxulta stood, "If that is all, I will return to the _Right of Passage_." She nodded at Dylan, "Captain."

The meeting broke up, and everyone started heading for the door. Trance grabbed Harper's arm, "We need to talk."

*********************************************************************

Trance glanced around the observation bay, and finding it was empty, she dragged Harper in and closed the door behind them, locking it, "Andromeda, engage privacy mode please." The AI's voice came from a speaker grill above the door, "Privacy mode engaged." Harper looked nerves, "Ok, what do we need to talk about?" Trance smiled, taking his hands in her own, "Seamus Zelazny Harper, relax, nothing bad is going to happen: I just need to tell you a few things before we take our relationship any further then we already have."

Harper blinked, "This has something to do with what you told me before you left for the World Ship, doesn't it?" Trance nodded, slightly downcast, "Yes, yes it does. I told you that there where things I wanted to tell you, but if I did, it would put your life in danger. Well, that's no longer the case. Harper, I'm a lot older that you realise, in fact, I'll be 20,000 next year." Harper whistled, "Wow!" Trance smiled, "Trust me, as my people age, I'll be about the equivalent of your age. But that's no the point any more: I'm human now, same as you. I may look the same, but that's just on the outside. I gave up what I was to be with you, but before you make any decisions, I want you to know something: Harper, I've done some terrible things in my life, things I can never make up for, and I did them not because it was right, but because it was my duty."

Trance sat on the bench, pulling Harper down next to her, "I was a solider, a General in fact, and I ordered my troops to do unthinkable acts because I was told to by my superiors." Trance choked on her words, "I can't even begin to tell you the sort of things I was made to do as War Leader." She pulled the rank insignia from her shoulder, "I never wanted to be in the military, but my farther made me: he's head of the council that leads my people, and he wanted his eldest to follow in his footstep's."

Harper put his arms around Trance as she stared to cry. He gently patted her on the back, "Hey, it's ok." He pulled back slightly so he could look her in the eye, "There are thing's I've never told you, though you probably know them, things I had to do on Earth, just to survive, things I'm not proud off. I put them behind me, moved on. It's not easy, but I'll be there for you." He lifted her chin with his finger, "I love you Trance, I have done for a long time, and I don't ever want to lose you."

Trance smiled as she leaned in to kiss him.

*********************************************************************

Dylan sat beside Rommie in medical as the doctors ran a few tests so they could enter her details into the medical files. They had judged her age to be somewhere around 28-30, and she had agreed to accept 29 as her 'official' age. The doctors had tried to give Dylan a sedative to calm him down, but he had refused it on the grounds that he needs to keep his head clear for the trip to Mobius.

Rommie's behaviour was starting to worry Dylan: although she seemed outwardly calm, she tended to get panicky when he wasn't around. Rev Bem had told him that she had been more than a little shocked by her transformation, and had found every day actions like eating, drinking and sleeping to be confusing and scary. He had refused to comment on the first time she had needed to visit the bathroom.

Beka walked through the hatch, "Say what you want about the Vedrans, they keep to a schedule: we're ready to go." Dylan stood, Rommie gripping his arm tightly, "Ok, let's get going. Have you any idea how the rest of the universe is going to take this?"

To Be Continued


	48. Gatecrashing the party…

@Hope for Love: I work when my muse works, which can be a pain in the butt at times…

@Gordon AI: Well, you wanted a Trance/Harper scene. As for Rommie, well, that's just my slightly off-center sense of hummer at work…

Echoes of future past, part 48

Dylan stopped just before they reached command, and turned to Rommie, "You going to be ok?" She nodded, but the look in her eyes said differently, "I need to talk with myself, with Andromeda, about what happened." she sounded more confused then ever. Dylan smiled, gripping her shoulder, "Use my office, I'll be in command: if you need me, I'm just next-door." Rommie kissed him on the cheek, and stepped through the doorway into the captain's office.

Andromeda's holographic form was already waiting for her, "Hi." Rommie smiled shyly, "Hi. Look, I had no idea that this was going to happen. I don't even think this is what Trance had in mind: she seemed as shocked as I was when it happened." Andromeda smiled, "I don't blame Trance, in fact, I helped her: she needed to get off away with the Engine of Creation component, and their was no way Beka would lend her the Maru, so I simply bypassed a few protocols so she could slip away."

Rommie blinked, "You know how much trouble you could have gotten into because of that? How many regs you broke?" Andromeda shrugged, "I'd be the first to admit that I wasn't exactly thinking straight at the time: I thought you where dead." Rommie smiled grimly, "I was." Andromeda looked at her former Avatar, "What's it like?" Rommie blinked, "Death? I don't remember anything specific, but there was a feeling of peacefulness, of contentment. I asked Rev Bem, and he said I'd gone to heaven. I'm not sure if I believe him, but it would be nice to think that all those who died during The Fall are safe somewhere."

Andromeda scowled, "Like Tarn Vedra you mean?" Rommie nodded, "I know what you mean, and I feel the same way, but you can't keep saying the things you've been saying and expect to get away with it. You know that sooner or later they are going to have had enough of it and wipe your memory. Dylan can't protect you for ever."  Andromeda nodded sad, "I know, but, it's hard for me: you weren't there during the old Commonwealth. I mean, I know you where me, and you have my memories, but that's not the same as being there." Rommie nodded, wishing she could comfort the AI, "Please, tone it down, for me: I don't want to lose you." Andromeda smiled, "Ok, but only for you."

*********************************************************************

Dylan stood at his usual place behind the controls to the right of the pilot's station, and waited for the _Right of Passage_ to take up position behind the Andromeda: it had been agreed that only the one ship would go with them to Mobius, anymore would scare people. The rest of the fleet would wait where it was, and a Slipfighter would be sent back to tell them when it was time.

Charlemagne Bolivar's ship would go with them, the Sabra-Jaguar Arch-Duke not wanting to miss the 'fun' as he put it. Dylan was till trying to figure out how to explain the return of the Vedrans to the Commonwealth leadership, but that could wait until they got to Mobius. Beka played with the controls, "The _Right of Passage_ and the _Jaguar's Teeth_ report ready to go." Dylan nodded as Rommie walked through the door, "Ok, let's go."

The Andromeda lurched as its slipdrive opened a slipstream portal, and all three ships' shot into the parallel dimension that allowed faster than light travel. Beka worked the controls expertly as she steered the Andromeda along the cords, her mind fixed on the planet Mobius. With a second lurch, the three ships exited slipstream, and entered the regular universe less than 2 light seconds from Mobius. Andromeda changed the magnification on the main view screen to show the remains of the High Guard fleet in orbit, along with several Sabra-Jaguar and Than Hegemony ships.

The orbital defence stations and guard ships immediately issued challenges. Dylan opened a spectrum-wide frequency, "This is Captain Dylan Hunt of the Systems Commonwealth Starship Andromeda Ascendant. I hope you don't mind, but I brought some friends. Admiral." The image on the main screen shifted to show Uxulta, "Greetings, I am Admiral Uxulta, commander of the High Guard Starship _Right of Passage_: I bring you greetings from Tarn Vedra. We wish to join the New Systems Commonwealth."

The communications array was instantly full of chatter as ships asked their commanders for instructions, and Commonwealth ministers fought with one another to be the first to officially great the Vedran officer. Dylan decided to cut through the red tape, "We would like to dock as soon as possible, and so if you could direct us to three open docking ports, we'd be grateful." The radio chatter died down as the three ship's headed for the nearest drift.

To Be Continued


	49. Journeys end…

@Hope for Love: Thank her? I want to throttle her: she goes missing for months on end, never phones, never writes, I'm worried sick about her, and when she finally decides to come back, she stops me sleeping!

@Gordon AI: Well, how would you react?

Echoes of future past, part 49

Dylan sat on the sofa in his quarters, trying to relax. It had been a very long day: apart from the time he'd spent sedated, he'd been awake almost 72 hours, but his mind was to active for him to sleep. The re-emergence of the Vedrans, after over 300-years, had sent shockwaves through the restored Commonwealth. No sooner had Uxulta been allowed to sign the charter, then the rest of the Tarn Vedra fleet had been sent for, and it's arrival at Mobius had drastically alter the military balance of the Known Worlds, making the New Commonwealth the most powerful force, a position previously held by the Than Hegemony.

A slip-currier had been sent to San-Ska-Re, and had returned only hours later with a formal request for Commonwealth membership from the Overdiamond herself. The council accepted the request, and the charter was sent back to the Than-Thre-Kull home world to be sighed.

The party, which had already been in full swing, redoubled, and was still going on across parts of Mobius, as well as several ship's and Drifts. Trance and Harper had despaired off together as soon as they had docked, and had not been seen or heard from since. Tyr was still walking round in a daze after being told of several hundred Kodiak Pride Nietzscheans living on Tarn Vedra. Beka was less excited by the news.

Dylan looked over to where Rommie was sat at the table, a pile of flexies in front of her, "How long have you been filling them in for now?" Rommie looked over at him, "About three hours: who knew suddenly going from synthetic to organic would result in so much paper work! I mean, look at this one, a Commonwealth citizenship application form: Please state mother's full maiden name. What the hell am I supposed to write?" Dylan chuckled, "Well at lest the doctors have finally left you alone." Rommie sighed, "Only because Rev Bem said they could run all the tests they wanted on him. I'll have to thank him for that." Dylan smiled, "I'll give him a medal, for services above and beyond the call of duty, to save a fellow officer from death by a thousand injections."

Rommie stood and walked over to Dylan, "I've had enough: let's go to bed." Dylan looked up, "I'm to hyped to sleep." Rommie grinned, "Did I say anything about sleep?" Dylan smiled as he pulled himself to his feet and followed her into the bedroom."

*********************************************************************

Harper lay on a hotel bed somewhere on Mobius, looking up at the ceiling, his eyes un-focused, "I haven't drunk that much since Scheherazade Drift joined the Commonwealth." Trance looked at him, "I haven't drunk that much, since, well, ever!" Harper nodded, "Who new that being a crewmember of a High Guard starship would result in so many free drinks?" Trance held her head, "Not so loud: I have a hangover." Harper tilted his head to the side slightly, "You've never had a hangover before: I've seen you drink all night, get really drunk, and be fine next day!"

Trance winced, "Well I wasn't human back then: it's a completely different physiology. Why any race would willingly created and consume a substance that results in intoxication, inhibition, bad dancing and worse breath, is beyond me." Harper looked at her, "You make out like that's a bad thing? Anyway, you're the one who wanted to get away from the Andromeda for a little while. Not that I mind having you all to myself. In a five-star hotel room none the less."

Trance crawled over and kissed Harper, then winced, "Please don't take this the wrong way, but I think I'm going to be sick!" Harper nodded, "Me too; you take the bathroom, and I'll take the wastepaper basket." Trance nodded, bolting across the room as Harper rolled off the bed and onto the floor.

*********************************************************************

Beka was in an armchair, the lights on low: she'd been in a funk ever since Tyr had been told that members of his Pride lived in the Vedran system. She wasn't angry, in fact, she was happy for him, but she couldn't help but think that maybe he'd leave her, leave their son, and go find himself a wife or two who would provide him with fully Nietzschean offspring. She didn't know if this was her regular cynicism, or whether t was brought on by the hormonal changes her pregnancy had trust upon her, but she didn't like it one little bit.

Tyr walked in, a huge grin on his face. It faded once he saw Beka, "What's wrong?" Beka looked up at him, her eyes holding a mixture of pain and anger, "So when are you going?" Tyr was confused, "Going? Going where?" Beka looked straight through him, her voice level, "Don't play games with me, I know you to well. When are you going to Tarn Vedra?" Tyr shrugged, "I don't know, that's up to Dylan. Isn't it?" 

Beka slowly stood, and walked over to her husband. She stood before him for a second, and then slapped him hard across the face, "I SAID DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH ME! I know you're going to go and find yourself a Nietzschean, and have genetically superior children, just like you've always dreamed!"

Tyr rubbed the side of his face, "You really think I'd do that? Woman, you don't know me at all if you think that's how I'd act! I love you. I have loved you for a long time, but I could never admit it, either to you or to myself. Do you think I would have married you if I didn't feel the way I do? I m not leaving you: not now, not ever."

Beka collapsed into Tyr's arms, "I'm sorry. I'm just scared." Tyr held her, "It's ok. It's ok."

To Be Continued

Only one chapter left *sniff*


	50. Full circle

Congratulations to Troll99 for breaking the update/review speed record by about 10-muinrets :) Hope life starts going better for you soon.

Echoes of future past, part 50

Beka lay back in bed, dazed: to say it had been a long and hectic 9-mouths would be an understatement.

The bundle in her arms stirred, and she looked down at her son, "Awake again are you? I hope you realise the amount of trouble you've already coursed me! You know, it's going to be interesting to explain how you came to be in our wedding photos. I think I'll leave that up to Trance."

"Someone call my name?" Trance said, standing in the doorway. Beka looked at her, "As my farther used to say: I'm talking about you, not to you." Trance laughed as she crossed the room, "As long as it's nothing untrue, I don't mind." Beka smiled, "Where are the others?" Trance waved at the door, "Out there, arguing as to who get's to hold the baby first." Beka tilted her head to the side, "So you decided to end it by sneaking in here?" Trance smiled, "Guilty as charged."

Beka carefully handed the bundle over to her best friend. Trance looked the newborn, "Hello Ryan. This is the first time I've had a chance to welcome you into the world properly." She turned to Beka, "Out of curiosity, why 'Ryan'?" Beka starched, "It was my grandfathers name: I didn't know him well, he died when I was little, but he was always kind to me." Trance smiled, "Seamus owes me 50-thrones." Beka looked at Trance, "Huh?" Trance smiled, "He insisted you named him after Captain Ryan of the Wrath of Achilles." Beka laughed, "That faïence of yours sure has some strange ideas, genius or not."

The door burst open and Rommie, Dylan, Tyr and Harper stumbled in. Beka smiled, "Come in why don't you." Their was a flicker of light as Andromeda's holographic form blinked into existence, "Why thank you, I will." Beka looked at her, amazed, "How'd you do that?" Andromeda smiled, "Tight-beam link the a receiver on the roof, and holographic emitters in the ceiling. Not the new hard-light system I've just had Seamus install in my ship-self, but it allows me to go ground-side if I want."

Dylan blinked, "Impressive none the less." Andromeda looked slightly hostile, "Well it's about time the Vedran's did something useful." Dylan fixed her with an icy glair, and she nodded, "I know, I know: less on the Vedran bashing, it is their planet after all, I know." Beka smiled, "It's ok by me, and I promise you, as soon as we get back, you get to hold Ryan." Andromeda smiled, "Thank you: I look forward to it."

Trance handed Ryan over to Harper, "Hear you go. Consider it practice." Harper looked like a dear trapped in headlights, "Wow, hold the phone! I'm still getting used to the whole getting married thing: you want to leave it a while before you start thinking about having any of our own. Anyway, I think Dylan and Rommie are next in-line." Dylan held out his arms in defence, "Don't you go putting ideas into my wife's head: She's already on at me about starting a family, I don't need you encouraging her!"

Rommie smiled, "The decision already been made, and acted on." Dylan blinked "What?" Rommie smiled, guiding his hand down to her stomach, "I'm four weeks late: you're going to be a farther." Tyr slapped Dylan on the back, "Welcome to the club. It's about time to!" Dylan's jaw dropped, "I think I need to sit down." Trance smiled, "Well if you're going to pass out, you're in the right place, what with it being a hospital." Dylan collapsed into an empty chair, speechless. Rommie smiled, "Now I know what to do whenever I want to shut him up."

Harper handed Ryan over to Rommie, "Here: you need the practice more than me!" Rommie carefully took the baby, "Hello. So, you're the one responsible for all this? Well, things are certainly better than the last time you where born, what with us all being alive and all." She tuned to Beka, "He's beautiful Beka. Just wait: in three months you have the fun of looking after him as his bone-blades come through."

Beka looked at Dylan, "So what's next on the mission front?" Dylan snapped back to reality, "Andromeda's still undergoing repairs after the last clash with the Kalderans, so she's going to be in dry-dock for a time while they patch her up and finish with the new upgrades. Then we wait and see what the new Minister of War has in mind: could be the Kalderans, could be the Pyrians, could be the Ogami, or it could be Freeboots." Beka nodded, "So who got elected: I haven't checked the news recently."

Tyr smiled, "Charlemagne Bolivar." Beka's shook her head; "I knew he was up to something when he started sucking up to Uxulta." She turned back to Dylan, "I'm surprised he didn't offer you the job of deputy." Dylan smiled, "He did, but I turned him down. Telemachus Rhade took it in the end. Should be interesting."

Andromeda stood against one wall, "If you could all gather around the bed, I'll take a few photos." Tyr blinked "Whit what?" Andromeda smiled, "I'm an AI: I'll just upload what I see into my memory banks, and print it off later." Tyr nodded, "Oh. Ok." They gathered around the bed as instructed, Rommie handing Ryan back to Beka. Andromeda grinned, "We are going to have the strangest photo album in the known worlds."

The End

PS: there will be short Authors note posted soon. Read it, don't read it, it's up to you.

*Crawls off into a corner to cry…*


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